why can't I make a digital recording of a DVD?

You can rip this using a PC or MAC using a variety of software.... it is a little time consuming thats all.

I would not regard this as illegal provided you purchased and still own the the original DVD and you are copying it for your own home use and not for re-sale or to give to someone else.

Tvad,

Fundamentaly I agree - there are lots of "excuses" for illegal copying - archival seems like one (given CD's durability).

Yet there are good practical reasons to want to copy some material. For example, a handful of burned CD's with selected tracks that came from original CD's (most often) or the occasional DVD are not doing harm to the industry, provided the owner keeps all the originals and there is no sharing going on. In this case, the owner might have the original in a CD Mega changer and another copy on a compilation in the car. The car copies don't last as they get scratched very quickly (often stored incorrectly, floating about in the box under the arm rest). It is harder to change CD's in a car and hence the advantage of a compilation geared to tastes.

Should this kind of use be illegal - I think not.

Tvad,

I understand how you feel. This is largely the position of the execs at Sony and other major labels.

However, as a user, I am frustrated that I bought and own half of Disney's entire collection in VHS, some in PAL and some in NTSC and that I needed to invest in special costly video players and TV's to be able play them all back on one system and that by the time our second child was old enough to enjoy them I was forced to buy them again on DVD (because the videos have decayed and over half of them won't play anymore)

Did I do anything illegal - no. I just happened to live in two different countries when these videos were legally purchased and had children spaced far enough apart that the videos did not last.

Do I think it is fair that I am now buying DVD's of material I already own at full price - not really. I respect that all these obstacles to consumers are all legal...however, am I a satisfied customer - no, not really.

And if I want to cut a few tracks from original CD's I own for use in the car then I don't feel dishonest in doing so. I think the industry ought to feel ashamed of all the roadblocks they create for their customers.