What should you know about the copyright laws? You should know the truth.

I’d like to summarize here and then provide you with links to the sources that will confirm what I have said. The first link is in the line above. It is a general link to the U.S.Copyright Office.

First, I want you to be blessed. Hey. I am blessed and there is alot more where that came from. There is enough for everyone. In order to be blessed you have to follow some simple rules. The 10 commandments come to mind, and they are wrapped up in two rules: Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Simple, no?

The first is easy for most. Once you get to know God it is real easy to love Him. It’s the neighbor thing that gives us the most grief. God is perfect, but my neighbor; well there’s another story for sure. 

Since this is the copyright section, I’d like to narrow things down a bit. This is probably going to twist some of you up. You’re going to read these words and put up a wall of resistance. I know. You can’t help it. It is because you have operated one way for so long that you believe it is the rule instead of the exception. Get to the point? Ok.

You are not allowed to make copies of any CD, MP3, DVD or other digital media that you have purchased and give it to another person; not even your mom or your Pastor or your worship leader. That is the rule. You do not own the copyright on that material. You own a license to use one copy, which is the one that you purchased. You can give that one away, but don’t be making a copy before you do.

A lot of people stretch this some and make what they call a backup copy. This is not always legal. It depends upon the license agreement that came with your purchase. Some authors allow a backup copy, others do not.

You say, “It falls under the fair use law“. Well, you apparently have never read that law, have you. Fair use applies only to nonprofit educational purposes; not general use by the public. And the amount of the work allowed to be copied is limited. So, copying an entire eBook or CD is not ‘fair use’.

I said I want you to be blessed, so here goes. You need to change your way of thinking (i.e. repent). You need to stop making copies of property when you do not own the right to make those copies. “As you sow, so also shall you reap. God is not mocked.” Ever read those words and wonder where to apply them? Try the book of James. There are a lot of good suggestions in that book.

You are not going to be blessed until you start to bless others. Buy your own copy of the CD. If you want a second copy for your car, then buy two copies. Refuse to accept copied music from your friends and tell them to read this article. Then you’ll have to put your faith to work because God will be waiting to see if you are serious about the change before He starts pouring out blessings that you cannot even contain.