Your Fair Use Rights

Copyright law gives authors the exclusive right to reproduce and profit from their works. It also protects them by preventing unauthorized third parties from doing the same.  However, US Copyright Law also provides an exception called fair use. Fair use permits consumers' "limited personal, non-commercial use of lawfully obtained copyrighted material without prior consent of the copyright owner."  For example: you can photocopy parts of books you own, make a backup copy of audio tapes, audio CD's and even VHS tapes. So far, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that fair use "is necessary to avoid an irreconcilable conflict between copyright law and the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech".

Under Fair Use guidelines, you as a consumer are allowed to make personal backup copies of media you own so you can:

• Protect Your Investment - DVD's can range in price from $30 up to over $100 for boxed sets.  Under Fair Use, protecting your investment by making personal back-up copies of your DVD's is critical.
   
• Get maximum versatility out of your DVD's - By making a backup copy of your DVD, you are able to enjoy it in different locations without having to transport, and risk damaging, the original.  You would be able to take the backup to your office or on vacation and leave the original safely at home.  In addition, you would be able to convert your DVD to a different format (like VideoCD) which would allow you to play it on a PC that lacked a DVD-ROM drive.
   
• Restore/Repair damaged DVD's - Like other types of media (VHS tapes, audio tapes, etc.) DVD's can be damaged by heat, scratches, or just plain broken. Making a personal backup allows you to keep your original safe and also gives you the ability to restore or repair your original should the need arise.