MP3 Tool Pulls Satellite Radio Into Piracy Fight

28 Aug, 2004 at 12:29pm ET Article published in Tech

A independent programmer has written an MP3 tool that will directly record XM satellite radio broadcasts into your computer and label them with the correct tags. The tool has put him in the middle of a piracy controversy.

The software, TimeTrax, also neatly arranged the individual songs from the concert, complete with artist name and song title information, into MP3 files. Then MacLean started selling the software, putting him in the thick of a potential legal battle pitting technically savvy fans against a company protecting its alliance–and licensing agreements–with the music industry. MacLean says he is simply seeking to make XM Radio–the largest U.S. satellite radio service with over 2.1 million members paying $10 a month for about 120 channels–a little more user-friendly.

Source: ZDNet

Comments

28 Aug 2004 ~ 1:21pm kanezfan what kind of idiot sells piracy software? i mean i'm all for using the program, but to sell it is just asking for trouble. dummy
28 Aug 2004 ~ 2:32pm Geeky1 How is it piracy software? It's no different than recording songs off the radio, which, as far as I know, is legal.
28 Aug 2004 ~ 2:51pm entropy Actually, I'm pretty sure it isn't...sure, the artists still get their commission, but you can listen to it over and over and over. Is that not piracy? You didn't pay for an entire cd, or even that song, or even to HEAR the song - all you did was buy a boombox. I think this tool is awesome (never used it, though, don't have XM) and good for everyone, but as usual my views conflict with the whole anti-piracy concept
28 Aug 2004 ~ 3:28pm kanezfan whether or not you think it is piracy software, the RIAA surely will. this guy will get in hot water for selling something that facilitates digital music file sharing. it's the same as copying it on tape, but how many people can you share that tape with? that's the point why the RIAA and MPAA are pissed. it's so easy now to share. hey, I haven't bought a CD or game in forever, I'll admit it, butthis guy is a moron for selling this software.
28 Aug 2004 ~ 3:31pm Geeky1 Oh, the RIAA will get its panties in a bunch (again), I'm sure. That doesn't make them right, however.
28 Aug 2004 ~ 4:34pm ryko Recording songs off of the radio is entirely legal...it what's called "fair use." Basically they figure that sound quality is so low if you record off-air, that you would rather buy a cd, plus you have commercials to deal with. With the relatively high quality of XM, and the lack of ads, this becomes an issue b/c it is equal to cd quality and there is no benefit to buying a different format...

Anyway...i am all for xm recording software.
28 Aug 2004 ~ 4:49pm keto eh? Recording off the radio is most definitely NOT legal and I'd love to see links proving otherwise. That is all.
28 Aug 2004 ~ 6:40pm muddocktor

keto wrote:

eh? Recording off the radio is most definitely NOT legal and I'd love to see links proving otherwise. That is all.

Actually I think that you are wrong on that, keto. It's just like you recording shows on a vcr to me. Anyways, I think the RIAA is a bunch of jerks who are grasping at straws trying to keep their golden baby(the music industry) all to themselves anyways. It almost makes me want to go buy an XM radio deal and get the software to record some songs.:D

If they are stupid enough to send signals across my property, I figure it is my right as a human being to try to capture and record them if I want too. As long as I'm not selling copies of what I've recorded, who really cares? The RIAA has already gotten their last ill-earned dollar out of me anyways; I don't buy music any more.
28 Aug 2004 ~ 7:36pm Thrax Recording from the radio is legal. There was a supreme court precedent based on this in the 80s at the advent of the tape.
28 Aug 2004 ~ 7:56pm entropy So that means recording from TV is legal, too (even though _everyone_ does it)? And, in the same sense, that should make making copies of cds to give to your friends perfectly legal. And to a more extreme extent, downloading files is legal - think about it. SOMEONE had to buy the CD. They got their money. Now it's just being shared, the same as you could and would do with a cassette, cd, or tape.
29 Aug 2004 ~ 8:48pm oCoMiK >>Recording from the radio is legal. There was a supreme court precedent based on this in the 80s at the advent of the tape.
29 Aug 2004 ~ 8:49pm oCoMiK

Recording from the radio is legal. There was a supreme court precedent based on this in the 80s at the advent of the tape.

I'm not so sure satellite radio would be covered under this ruling.
29 Aug 2004 ~ 9:46pm TheSmJ I don't think it would, as you have to (or are supposed to have to) pay to listen to sat. radio.
29 Aug 2004 ~ 10:13pm Thrax

oCoMiK wrote:

I'm not so sure satellite radio would be covered under this ruling.

I'm not so sure, either. However I was responding to Keto.