Originally Posted by
HSVTSO Dean
Hooo-boy. Let's get technical for just a second.
Dependant upon what it is, you may still be.
Last time I checked (which, admittedly, was several years ago and I don't have time before I start my shift to look it up, so correct me if I'm wrong!), the FBI warning stated any unauthorized reproduction is illegal.
I know most video games I've played in the past several years have a stipulation in the EULA that states the owner can make one copy for back-up archival purposes, but I'm not aware of any DVDs with the same authorization.
So many of you drinking the MPAA kool-aid -- "unauthorised" ≠"illegal" -- I can make copies of a DVD that are "unauthorised" under the terms of the licence under which I have acquired a copy of that DVD from the producer, and by violating that licence, I may expose myself to the potential for civil penalties that may be imposed by a civil court which may under the law award damages. If the DVD producer/copyright holder wins a damage award in court as a result of my unauthorised copying, bailiffs may seize my property to settle that award. That does not mean I have committed a crime, it does not mean that law enforcement can act on the plaintiff's behalf or start checking at the airport, at a border or even in the context of serving a search warrant to see if I have violated a private contractual agreement with another party.
The "FBI warning" is smoke and mirrors on the part of the MPAA. Unauthorised copying is not a crime, and law enforcement has nothing to do with it, any more than you could get a cop to arrest your mechanic for not repairing your car the way he said he would.