Was this considered 'piracy' back in the day? ( lemmy.zip )

Back when we would record onto VHS, is that considered piracy? Found a super bowl XXXI tape from my Uncle circa 1997. I'm curious lol.

Also side note, have any of you dabbled in digitizing old VHS? Have quite a few home videos on VHS and I'm wanting to preserve them for the future. I've done a bit of research and have come across a wide array of information. I know that doesn't really qualify as piracy, if there's a better comm for this, please direct me there!

Noerttipertti ,

I presume from superb owl that you are from USA.
No. It was deemed legal and fair use as was recording radio on c-cassettes.
Considering digitizing, Web stores are full of usb capture dongles and rca/scart adapters.
Obs and Videolan are free and easy to use.
For editing, Openshot is free and quite easy to use.
All these are available on Windows, Linux and Mac.

Kichae ,

It was deemed legal and fair use after the film and music industries sued VCR manufacturers and users.

So yeah, it absolutely was considered piracy by the media production and distribution companies. The courts disagreeing with them doesn't change that.

Neato ,
@Neato@ttrpg.network avatar

This may just be a semantic argument. Media production can consider it piracy, but that's irrelevant as it had no legal standing. Without a law prohibiting something, it's legal. And the fact that they sued and lost means it was never illegal and the media companies can declare it "piracy" or "treason against Columbia Pictures" or whatever they want until they're blue in the face but no one cares.

kbal ,
@kbal@fedia.io avatar

"I say to you that the VCR is to the American film producer and the American public as the Boston strangler is to the woman home alone." — Jack Valenti, MPAA president, 1982

JasonDJ , (edited )

You wouldn't download a serial killer.

But you could download countless murder-mystery audiobooks and ebooks from Libby, so that's a close second.

ptz , (edited )
@ptz@dubvee.org avatar

Everything that gives people non-gatekept access to any media is considered "piracy" by the powers that be.

'Home taping is killing music' written above a cassette tape with crossed bones beneath

That propaganda image is from the 80s.

Re: NFL

https://tesseract.dubvee.org/image_proxy/files.catbox.moe/6jrw7j.gif

Neato ,
@Neato@ttrpg.network avatar

Which is weird because neither of those things are illegal. You can absolutely tape the radio. You just can't distribute it. Just like you can copy your own media for your own use as much as you want.

ptz ,
@ptz@dubvee.org avatar

True, but that doesn't stop them from being propagandized as "piracy".

PhobosAnomaly ,

All I needed was a reason

Banzai51 ,
@Banzai51@midwest.social avatar

Remember, no business is required to tell the truth. Had a pipeline go through my backyard and you would not believe the lies that company told. Glad I lawyered up instead of believing the lies.

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