Erm…iTunes is Now Illegal in the UK

Fearing a loss of income several music groups objected at the High Court, which subsequently agreed that the new legislation is unlawful.

Last year the UK government legalised copying making it exceptional for private use, however that move was overturned this week. The repercussions are pretty staggering. Thanks to the High Court’s determination, such an motion is now punishable by regulation (once more), and the very existence of the function itself is unlawful.

In fact, because iTunes could now be seen as promoting an illegal activity, Apple could theoretically face damage claims from music groups.

Back in October, new intellectual property laws meant that ripping copyrighted CDs and DVDs that you already owned was within your rights as a consumer.

While only CD-to-MP3 conversion is specifically mentioned, the law covers all types of conversion. Finally getting around to transferring your old VHS tapes to DVD?

“It includes creating back-ups without permission from the copyright holder as this necessarily involves an act of copying”, the government spokesperson added. In the long run, that means if your computer were to crash or get stolen, your only allowable course of action would be to re-purchase all your music and movies. The current status of the program, which users know will automatically ask if they want to upload an album as soon as it’s inserted in the disc drive, is now technically encouraging its users to commit a crime.