• Know the law before you start making copies.cd's image by Dianne Burridge from Fotolia.com
  
  Just because your computer has a disk recorder does not mean that you are entitled to copy anything you want. Making a backup copy for yourself may be allowed under copyright law, but only certain types of information can be legally copied and given away. It is important that you know about the copyright laws for making a copy of a CD, whether you plan to give it away or not.
  
  

Digital Millennium Copyright Act

• The Digital Millennium Copyright Act is meant to protect digital ownership.US Supreme Court image by dwight9592 from Fotolia.com
  
  The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA, was signed into law in 1998 in order to broaden the scope of copyright protection for digital media, including compact disks and Internet commerce. The purpose of the DMCA was to strictly define what digital media could be legally copied and to establish guidelines under which sharing of digital media could be defined. The DMCA works similarly to traditional copyright law in relation to disk-based media. Only a narrow spectrum of digital media may be freely copied and an even smaller amount may be distributed legally.
  
  

Legally Copyable CDs

• Open Source software may be freely given away.the programmer and a computer image by Andrey Andreev from Fotolia.com
  
  Some digital information may be copied and distributed freely. For written works, video or sound, this type of material is typically defined as Public Domain, meaning that there are no restrictions on who may have a copy. For computer software, the term is Open Source, although Public Domain software exists as well. A third type of software that may be distributed is called shareware, or "try before you buy" software. In all instances, the stipulation is that you cannot charge more for the copied CD than the cost of the blank CD itself. You may give these CDs away at your own discretion.
  
  

"Private and Domestic" Use

• Making copies of a movie to sell or give away is called piracy and violates copyright law.video tapes image by ludwig from Fotolia.com
  
  It has been successfully argued that each person has the right to make a backup copy of movies or audio recordings for their own "private and domestic" use. This might include watching the video with another person in your home or theirs but does not include giving them a copy of the recording. The legal finding is that your one-time purchase does not allow the media to be used on more than one display device at any given time. Giving away copies is a violation of copyright law.
  
  

Computer Backups

• Computer backups are legal under copyright law.compact disc image by Madera from Fotolia.com
  
  Making computer backups is common and acceptable under copyright law. Making a copy of a computer game so that you can share the game with friends is not allowed. You are allowed to freely back up saved games for later retrieval for your own use only. Any disk with copy protection software or devices installed is protected under copyright laws and may not be copied or redistributed in any manner, even for your own use.