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I was watching an episode of Tech TV's THE SCREEN SAVERS when they
talked about buying music on line. One site they recommended was
http://www.allofmp3.com as it had a good selection and excellent
prices for music. On one show the host commented "This can't be
legal -- better get the music before the RIAA shuts it down". On
a later show they referenced their earlier comments and said: "It
does appear to be legal".
I've Googled the web and the USENET looking for opinions on this
site. Some people say that while it may be legal to download the
music in Russia (where the site it located) it's illegal to "import"
the music into the United States, as you must buy you music locally.
That doesn't ring true to me. That would make it illegal to import
music from Canada or the UK, which doesn't appear to be the case.
Also I've heard people complaining that allofmp3.com is not charging
for each song, but rather for the bandwidth used. They say that
this is illegal. I don't see how this is illegal.
Then I've heard the remark that while it's OK to pay to listen to the
songs that allofmp3.com is "broadcasting" (the Russians licensed this
site much the same way they license a commercial radio station to
broadcast music) it is illegal for anyone to capture and store the
music that it broadcasts. If this were the case, then wouldn't it
be just as illegal to own a VCR? Aren't people doing the same thing
when they capture videos and save them?
I also went to the RIAA's web site to see what they were saying about
allofmp3.com. While the RIAA has lots of information about E-donkey,
the old Napster and other Peer-to-Peer file sharing systems, regarding
how illegal they are and what the RIAA is doing to shut them down,
they say NOTHING about allofmp3.com. Absolutely nothing at all.
So I'm beginning to wonder if the guys on the SCREEN SAVERS aren't
right. It isn't illegal for the Russians to broadcast the music
because they've paid for a license from their licensening authority
and it probably isn't illegal for an individual in the US to capture
the broadcast for their own person use. At least not yet.
Otherwise, why wouldn't the RIAA's web site at least say it was illegal?
I certainly would welcome opinions on this topic. I'm not a lawyer.
It's quite possible that I'm wrong and buying music from allofmp3.com
is illegal to do in the United States. It's quite confusing to know
what is legal and what is not these days. Especially when Tech TV's
own web site recommends buying from allofmp3.com right along with
Apple's web site and WallMart's site too!
So opinions please!
Thanks!
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