YouTube Converting - Legal?

[ztikmaen]

From almost every source I've seen, people say converting YouTube videos to MP3 files is illegal. But then from every many sources they say converting into MP4 is fine... Can somebody clarify this please?

[plastercaster]

Well seeing as ripping from CD to hard drive is technically illegal I would be very surprised if this wasn't inadvertently covered by copyright in some way. Having said that you're not going to get caught, so if you don't see a moral objection to not paying the artist I don't see what's stopping you.

[Muttley]

First, I have to point out that IANAL.

Secondly, it's absolutely nothing to do with file formats and everything to do with who owns the Copyright on the material in question.

When you upload a video to YouTube you can either assign it a standard YouTube license, which only grants a license to YouTube (otherwise it would be illegal for YouTube to stream any videos), or a Creative Commons Attribution license (which allows reuse of the material by anyone as long as attribution is given).  The specific license assigned to a video is detailed in the video description.

Of course, if someone has uploaded material that someone else has copyright over and they have no license for (for example uploading songs from an album with just a static image as the video), then whatever license they've applied to their upload is invalidated as they are in breach of copyright and them uploading it in the first place is illegal.  If you then copy/convert it you are also in breach of the original copyright and breaking the law as well.

HTH

[horsehead]

First, I have to point out that IANAL.

huh, huh, you said anal

[ztikmaen]

First, I have to point out that IANAL.

huh, huh, you said anal

That's what I saw too heh heh




Thanks though, man I guess I have to go buy myself some music DVDs that may or may not be sold anymore :/

[Frank]

I made a copyright complaint against a youtube user last year, someone had actually copied one of my guitar noodling videos, uploaded it and was passing it off as his own work. I was flattered. He got banned though.

[shobet]

I made a copyright complaint against a youtube user last year, someone had actually copied one of my guitar noodling videos, uploaded it and was passing it off as his own work. I was flattered. He got banned though.

Was it that bad? ;)

[Frank]

I made a copyright complaint against a youtube user last year, someone had actually copied one of my guitar noodling videos, uploaded it and was passing it off as his own work. I was flattered. He got banned though.

Was it that bad? ;)

It was clean chords played on a strat with no overdrive. You people wouldn't understand.

[JacksonRR]

OOooOOooo I want to take a look at the pilfered footage. The original footage that was pilfered, that is.

[Frank]

This one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnlSSy7f9lg