It seems the media Cartels are being forced to be fair at last
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/03/uk-will-finally-allow-citizens-to-legally-rip-cds/An update to UK copyright law means that from June 1, 2014 it will no longer be illegal to make copies of CDs—or e-books or any other media—that you have bought for personal use.
According to current law, it is actually illegal to copy a CD for backup or to play the music on an MP3 player or mobile. It's also illegal to format shift an e-book you've bought from one device to another. Under new exceptions to copyright law, first initiated by the 2011 Hargreaves Review, people will be no longer be committing a crime by format shifting copies of CDs, e-books, or films they have bought.
It will remain, however, illegal to make copies at home for friends and family. (So no passing on those ripped CDs, people!) If you want to give the CD to a loved one, you should make sure you delete any personal copies you have made from it, explains the Intellectual Property Office (IPO).
Intriguingly, the IPO says that if anti-copying technology (DRM) is too restrictive, consumers can raise a complaint with the Secretary of State. This has been part of the law for more than 25 years (in Section 296ZE of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988), but with the new exceptions, there may be more cause for complaint. If a user complains that they cannot benefit from the exception due to a "technological measure" (DRM), the Secretary of State is empowered to "give directions to copyright owners to enable the complainant to benefit from it". That is to say, a movie studio may be forced to make it easier for individuals to copy their DVDs for personal use.
I wonder what the politicians are going to be giving the copyright tax Cartel in return for this minor item, its been nearly ten years in the waiting for this common sense move to actually be crafted into law and the Cartel have been kicking and screaming that the sky will fall in all along the way.
I suspect we will see some anti-consumer activity soon to make up for this fair balancing of rights, the govt always prefers to support those who give it access to popular movie and musical figures and generate tax revenues and we should not forget the free holidays for their "friends", money still talks to UK politicians.
