SlashGear

Ever since the fall of Napster way back when, it’s been a little more difficult for people to download music. It’s not like you don’t have ways to get your hands on the music, there are plenty of avenues to get them. However, now when start downloading music, you have to worry about the RIAA cracking down on you. Some brave soul is standing up to them in court in a case that is already making waves.

Sadly, thus far it hasn’t made things any better for us. It has, however, shown that Sony BMG believes that almost everyone steals music. Have you ever ripped several of your CDs to create that perfect collection of tunes for your car? Well you’re a dirty thief!

Here is a little excerpt from the the trial. Jennifer Pariser is representing Sony BMG, and apparently has a very skewed view on digital music.

Pariser has a very broad definition of “stealing.” When questioned by Richard Gabriel, lead counsel for the record labels, Pariser suggested that what millions of music fans do is actually theft. The dirty deed? Ripping your own CDs or downloading songs you already own.

Gabriel asked if it was wrong for consumers to make copies of music which they have purchased, even just one copy. Pariser replied, “When an individual makes a copy of a song for himself, I suppose we can say he stole a song.” Making “a copy” of a purchased song is just “a nice way of saying ’steals just one copy’,” she said.

Sony BMG: Copying Music You Own Is “Stealing” And You Are A Criminal [via consumerist]