OK, I never, *ever* buy games. But I bought civ 4. I want to make a copy of the two CDs in case something happens to them... I have young kids who have scratched other CDs in the past. What legal way can I copy these CDs or, if they are damaged and I have a receipt, can I get a new copy. This is not a piracy question. I'm 100% against piracy!!! However, I want to protect my investment too. What do you guys do?
Making a Legal Copy for Backup Purposes
- Thread starter rtilley
- Start date
Traxis
Chieftain
Usually, if discs are damaged, you can send in the damaged copies to the publisher and they will replace them for a small fee. Too make a copy you would probably have to find a way to get around the copy protection, which is illegal.
You can legally backup one copy of any software that you own. The caveat is that if you lose or sell or whatever the original, you must destroy the copy. Whether you can or can't circumvent the copy protection I don't know, and won't speculate on. I would imagine that you could try to just do a perfect copy with nero.....dunno, seeing as my civ III disc is so badly scratched, but my plextor dvd writer reads it perfectly, I see no need to backup. Good luck.
Beg your pardon, but you are wrong. Here it is:
Up until February 2004, 321 Studios' hugely popular line of DVD-copying products, including DVD X Copy, DVD X Copy Xpress, and DVD Copy Plus, gave consumers the power to make backup copies of DVDs--even those with copy protection. But when a San Francisco federal judge ruled that 321 Studios' products were illegal because they circumvented commercial DVDs' antipiracy technology--not because it's illegal to make copies, mind you--the party was over. Since then, 321 Studios has released new, ripper-free versions of its line of DVD copying apps, but these programs are considerably less potent and cannot copy commercial DVDs.
It is antipiracy that you are not allowed to mess with....ie, removing copyright protections...There is very well founded case law that when you purchase anything on Cd or DVD, you can make a perfect backup provided you always have the original.
Up until February 2004, 321 Studios' hugely popular line of DVD-copying products, including DVD X Copy, DVD X Copy Xpress, and DVD Copy Plus, gave consumers the power to make backup copies of DVDs--even those with copy protection. But when a San Francisco federal judge ruled that 321 Studios' products were illegal because they circumvented commercial DVDs' antipiracy technology--not because it's illegal to make copies, mind you--the party was over. Since then, 321 Studios has released new, ripper-free versions of its line of DVD copying apps, but these programs are considerably less potent and cannot copy commercial DVDs.
It is antipiracy that you are not allowed to mess with....ie, removing copyright protections...There is very well founded case law that when you purchase anything on Cd or DVD, you can make a perfect backup provided you always have the original.
The perfect copy backup goes to fair-use precedents. In reading other posts on here, the game is protected by SafeDisc 4, which means that even if you did make a perfect backup, circumventing the copy protection would be illegal. So the argument, as with all arguments with copy protected software is moot....you can't use the backup without breaking the law by circumventing the copy protection....so I would not advise making a backup because it would be a waste of a good cd or dvd.
Fredric Drum
Civilizator
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2001
- Messages
- 270
Tricksrus said:
Scratches aren't the biggest problem. A CD/DVD can break in two pieces if you're unlucky. One of my discs did when I tried to remove it from the case, and could not be used any more.
Traxis
Chieftain
Fredric Drum said:
I've had CDs EXPLODE inside the drive.
Scared the hell outta me, and when I opened the drive up, tiny peices of the disk fell out. Ruined the drive, too.Fredric Drum
Civilizator
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2001
- Messages
- 270
Traxis said:I've had CDs EXPLODE inside the drive.
Serves you right for buying CDs produced in the Middle East!
making backup copies of CD's you own is completely legal. As long as you paid for and own the original you can legaly make as many copies of the CD as you want. Also cracked "exe" files are not illegal also as long as they are used to play backups for which you own the original.
Panzer Ace
Chieftain
Yeah, my exp. with things made in the Middle East hasn't been too fun. I've had at least 5 CD's that had their layers falling off....then there was this one Afgan gun I had..
it wasn't a good day for me needless to say...I learned, unless it's MENT to be blown up(RPG, bombs, etc) don't buy something from the Middle East if you can buy it from the US, Germany, or the UK.
it wasn't a good day for me needless to say...I learned, unless it's MENT to be blown up(RPG, bombs, etc) don't buy something from the Middle East if you can buy it from the US, Germany, or the UK.
