Very few, unfortunately, seem to understand that DVD rippers and other neat toys like that are going to disappear from European Union by end of this year. Law -- or actually a directive -- called EUCD was passed by EU Council in 2001 and it can't be changed anymore and now member states are required to implement it into their own legislations.
Anyway, now UK Patent Office's consulation papers have been released online. Papers indicate what needs to be changed in current UK law to comply with EUCD. As said, UK doesn't really have much option to choose whether or not to pass these laws, so it is just matter of details in other EU countries as well.
Some chilling stuff to read, I save your time and copy-paste one nasty piece:
296ZB. (1) A person commits an offence if he—
(a) makes for sale or hire, or
(b) imports otherwise than for his private and domestic use, or
(c) in the course of a business—
(i) sells or lets for hire, or
(ii) offers or exposes for sale or hire, or
(iii) advertises for sale or hire, or
(iv) possesses, or
(v) distributes, or
(d) distributes otherwise than in the course of a business to such an extent as to affect prejudicially the copyright owner
any device, product or component which is primarily designed, produced, or adapted for the purpose of enabling or facilitating the circumvention of effective technological measures.
So, to put it simply, you're violating the law if you let other people to download DVD rippers. Or some tools that allow copying copy-protected audio CDs. Or WMAs. etc... And same applies to sites that operate within EU -- distributing such tools is a criminal offence after 1st of January, 2003. Good hosting providers in Far East, anyone?-)
Source: UK Patent Office
Some chilling stuff to read, I save your time and copy-paste one nasty piece:
296ZB. (1) A person commits an offence if he—
(a) makes for sale or hire, or
(b) imports otherwise than for his private and domestic use, or
(c) in the course of a business—
(i) sells or lets for hire, or
(ii) offers or exposes for sale or hire, or
(iii) advertises for sale or hire, or
(iv) possesses, or
(v) distributes, or
(d) distributes otherwise than in the course of a business to such an extent as to affect prejudicially the copyright owner
any device, product or component which is primarily designed, produced, or adapted for the purpose of enabling or facilitating the circumvention of effective technological measures.
So, to put it simply, you're violating the law if you let other people to download DVD rippers. Or some tools that allow copying copy-protected audio CDs. Or WMAs. etc... And same applies to sites that operate within EU -- distributing such tools is a criminal offence after 1st of January, 2003. Good hosting providers in Far East, anyone?-)
Source: UK Patent Office
