After the recent spate of RIAA crackdowns on pirated music alot has come out about uncertainties in the small details of music copyright. Sony, most famously known for their Extended Copy Protection (XPC) and MediaMax CD-3 scandal in which more that 100 music titles included hidden software which interfered with the Windows’ handling of CD playback and prevented ripping. Since then Sony have attempted to clarify their policies by ensuring users know that they have the right to back-up their discs but not copy for distribution. They even include instructions on backing up discs on their XPC FAQ page.

However it seems that they have recently backflipped on this policy. In the case Capitol Records, et al v. Jammie Thomas, Jennifer Pariser, Sony BMG’s head of litigation testified that “When an individual makes a copy of a song for himself, I suppose we can say he stole a song.” She stated that making “a copy” of a purchased song is just “a nice way of saying ’steals just one copy’,”. This is an interesting reversal on Sony’s policies and perhaps could indicate some evidence of Sony bowing to pressures from parts of the record industry which have long held the policy that CD and download backups are not fair use of the CDs and Downloads.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.