Q: legality of trades? (1 Viewer)

[PienSavaca]

I was wondering if this was legal or not:
a) can i make a copy of a CD and GIVE a copy to my friend?
b) can I complile a CD of rarities and b-sides (hard to get- out of print material) and trade it with another person providing the same service to me in return?
I ask this because I have plenty of soundtracks, collections and greatest hits that I have effectively bought for just a few songs. Sure, Napster and its derivatives let you "cherry pick" songs, but the quality is somewhat lacking. I'm looking for full "fat" aiff (mac) or wav (win) files.
I have plenty of soundtracks with Beck, Cracker or Sheryl Crow songs (and others too numerous to list here). Can I compile them and legally trade them with someone offering something I don't have? For example, the U2 song that was ltd edition at best buy stores? Or the ONE new song on the Lenny Kravitz greatest hits cd? Or the different version of that Moby song, "Southside"? Or the now-elusive "peace Train" by 10,000 maniacs?
Any links to copyright info would be good.

 

[Brian Perry]

Neither are legal. As with Napster, you would be providing people with content that they did not pay for. Some would argue that the recipient would not have purchased the music anyway (so technically there is no lost sale) or that it actually helps the artists by exposing their music to more people. However, logic suggests that if the Napster model actually helped sales, the RIAA would not have sued to shut it down.
[Edited last by Brian Perry on July 24, 2001 at 03:02 PM]