On: The Long, Slow Decline of BitTorrent (2017)

[Spivak]

Which does fall under the umbrella of piracy.

[keypress → Spivak]

Yep, but the motivation may be simply one of convenience. My DVD player loops the menu all night long if you happen to dose off - and it's a struggle to get up and stop it. Even selecting and starting a movie on a DVD can be a trial.

[justrobert → Spivak]

If that is illegal, then I am breaking the law when I modify a computer program for personal use.

As far as I am aware, if they are not distributing their changes, there is no copyright violation.

I'd be interested to see what laws they are violating.

[pbhjpbhj → justrobert]

You're mistaken. The clue is in the name, you commit tortuous infringement when you copy without permission.

It is the copying that is the tort. Distribution is a separate tort/crime.

You don't mention your jurisdiction but this is common to international law and applies in almost all countries.

[Spivak → justrobert]

I'm reading a tiny bit into the comment so let me state it plainly:

> A few people I know just check out movie from the local Library on DVD or Bluray, rip them and then watch them from Plex, [and then return the DVD or Bluray without deleting the ripped copy].

This is textbook piracy.

[justrobert → Spivak]

Again when it comes to the USA copyright law, it is about distribution.

A person who copies a specific work and does not distribute it is not breaking the law as far as I am aware.

That is why I'd be interested in seeing what laws have been broken.

[cuckcuckspruce → justrobert]

It's certainly a DMCA violation if you broke any DRM to make that copy. That does not require distribution.

[pbhjpbhj → Spivak]

It's not piracy at all.

If they watch the movie again without a license then it would be copyright infringement.

Assuming they live in a jurisdiction that allows format shifting they've not made a copy without a license or right to do so.