Stefan Mileschin

Copies fall under the private copying exemption

Downloading music via stream-ripping tools can be perfectly legal, the French Ministry of Culture has confirmed. The resulting copies fall under the private copying exemption.

The French ruling only applies if the stream-ripping service doesn't circumvent technical protection measures, which is a widely contested issue.

Needless to say, Big Content is not impressed with the ruling and is convinced that stream-ripping sites break the law but, in most countries, legal uncertainties remain. In the US, for example, popular stream-ripper Yout.com has sued the RIAA to have its site declared legal. This case, which remains ongoing, could set an important precedent.

In France, the Ministry of Culture was recently questioned on the stream-ripping issue. Philippe Latombe, a member of the MoDem party, asked the government whether copies downloaded through these services are considered illegal.

The question was part of a broader inquiry into the private copying rules and regulations. These allow people to copy music and movies in exchange for a tax that's paid on storage media and devices including blank CDs, hard disks, and smartphones.

https://fudzilla.com/news/53206-fren...pping-is-legal