Sigh…ripping music and films is now illegal again

It’s now illegal again for Brits to make copies of music and videos for personal use.

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

A new ruling issued by the High Court yesterday overturns that decision however, although there’s been no word on how the change will be enforced thus far.

According to the BBC, the decision came “after a legal challenge from Basca, the Musicians’ Union, and industry representatives UK Music.”

The report continues: “A judge ruled that the government was wrong legally when it decided not to introduce a compensation scheme for songwriters, musicians, and other rights holders who face losses as a result of their copyright being infringed.”

As a result of the 2014 regulation being quashed, copying CDs, MP3s, DVDs, Blu-rays, and e-books all fall on the wrong side of the law.

That means even if you’re just ripping one of your CDs to play digitally in iTunes or on your smartphone, you’re breaking the law.

You also can’t copy a CD you own with the intention of using one in your car and one in your house anymore.

Related: Best Music Streaming Service 2015

When the original changes were enforced last year, the Intellectual Property Office said it brought the UK’s IP law into the 21st century, speaking at the time.

“[The new law] will mean that the UK IP regime will now be responsive to the modern business environment and more flexible for consumers,” explained Baroness Neville-Rolfe, minister for Intellectual Property, last October.

Fortunately, it’s unlikely we’ll see a serious police crackdown on CD ripping anytime soon, as the BBC notes: “Court action was rare under the previous law and the industry often turned a blind eye to people copying data for personal use.”