What constitutes sound recording piracy?
Federal copyright law grants the copyright owner in a sound recording (typically, a record company) the exclusive right to reproduce, adapt, distribute and, in some cases, digitally transmit their sound recordings. Thus, among other activities, the following, if unauthorized by the copyright owner, may violate their rights under federal law: 1. making a copy of all or a portion of a sound recording onto a computer hard drive, server, or other hardware used in connection with a web site or other online forum. This includes converting a sound recording in a file format (such as a .wav or mp3 file) and saving it to a hard drive or server; 2. transmitting a copy or otherwise permitting users to download sound recordings from the site or other forum; and/or 3. digitally transmitting to users, at their request, a particular sound recording chosen by or on behalf of the recipient.
