Ask Slashdot: Can I Cross US Borders With Legally Ripped Media? 285
First time accepted submitter ozspeed writes "I live in Australia where I've been enjoying the luxury of taking legally purchased music and film and ripping them for my personal enjoyment on my digital media devices; all legal and above board in my country. I'm about to move to the U.S. for a few years and wondered if I would get into trouble if I tried to bring them across the border with me. Any Slashdot been in a similar position, or have a good view of the law on this?" The U.S. has claimed broad data-snooping rights at the border (though some common sense may have broken out, too), but I've never heard of anyone hassled for this reason; have you?
Can't say I've ever seen it (Score:5, Informative)
Speaking from my own experience of crossing the border *a lot* I can't say I've ever seen or experienced even the slightest interest in my laptop or drives. Maybe they have more time at the land borders than they do at the airports I can't say. I haven't crossed at one of those in years but at the airports there's simply no time to deal with such things.
you can walk over it with illegally ripped media (Score:5, Informative)
they can't check.
they know they can't check.
that is not what they're looking for if they're checking your backpack.
now.. if you got loads of obviously pirated cd's - not homeburn! - but commercial asia type pirate cd's.. they'll snatch 'em if they see 'em. because that is how the customs crews are trained.
Is this post a troll? (Score:5, Informative)
For the record, I'm an Australian who lives in NYC. I'm very familiar with the policies of both countries.
Australia has some backwards format-shifting laws, prohibiting ripping DVDs under all circumstances for example, so it's inaccurate to pain Australia as better than the US in that regard. We can rip VHS though.
Basically, it's illegal to upload and distribute stuff, or to be making money off ripped items. If you just have stuff ripped for yourself, they are not going to care. If you're really concerned, put it all on a harddrive. If you're really, really concerned, encrypt that harddrive. If you're really, really, really, really concerned upload it and download it later. Internet speed is pretty fucking fast here.
Of course, having gone through customs numerous times with hundreds of burned DVDs, I don't think there is much cause for concern. I'd be much more worried about the UK.
Yes sir! (Score:5, Informative)
I cross the US/Mexico border by land every day and I have had work colleagues tell me at least on two occasions that they have had their legit CDs confiscated from their cars, apparently because they were out of their jewel cases. I one case, the CDs were of dubious origin, but it shows that they do pay attention to such things and that apparently they think think they work for the RIAA rather than the HSA.
None however have told me their digital devices were inspected for illegal music, and interestingly both colleagues who were hassled were Mexican nationals. Profiling, anyone?
Re:Just do it (Score:2, Informative)
Then they'll detain you for having encrypted data on your hard drives under the supposition that only someone doing something illegal would resort to encrypting their data.
The States is a wonderful country for contradictions, Encrypt your data to protect your privacy then they use it as the basis for a suspicion of illegal activities detainment. Gather a store of food and water so that you can survive a natural disaster and be detained as a possible terrorist for hoarding food to survive the coming attack that you;re involved in. Try to not have someone looking over your shoulder so your email or online banking is kept private and be considered suspicious because you're hiding something again. Try to reduce your bank fees by using cash more often and find yourself being considered suspicious because you're trying to mask your purchases by not using debit or credit cards.
Why were you moving to the States, again?
Re:Legal in your country. (Score:4, Informative)
There is nothing illegal about possessing music and movies in the US, regardless of where you got them.
But is there a law against importing music and movies for personal use? That's what the poster really needs to know.
Re:Legal in your country. (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Is this post a troll? (Score:5, Informative)
Legality? CD music yes. DVDs (strictly speaking)No (Score:5, Informative)
Vanderhoth is dead on. Ripping a DVD is against the law in the US. The Digital Millenium Copyright act expressly forbids breaking encryption to access content. There are exceptions for security researchers. That said, DVD ripping by ordinary individuals for format shifting and back up is not prosecuted in and of itself. Share the stuff? You can get in all kinds of legal hot water. Lawsuits and prosecution.
Ripping a non-copy-protected Red Book cd that you own is perfectly legal -- provided you do not share the file. No encryption. No crime. First sale doctrine applies. [wikipedia.org]
I travel to and from the US from overseas frequently. Only once in 20 years was I ever polled concerning the contents of my laptop. The US Customs agent asked me if there was any x-rated material on it. I answered truthfully that there was not. He was trolling for a demeanor hit and would have probably looked at my content for illegal porn had he not been satisfied by my confident negative answer. By the way, having even US-legal porn on the laptop can still get you in big trouble in the Middle East so be aware. Even silly rags like Maxim are trouble. Also mind what you eat, kids. Traveling to Dubai? Skip that poppy seed bagel in Sydney airport.. Really. [bbc.co.uk]
Bottom line, however? The posters are generally right. US Customs is not concerned about the technically illegal DVD rips on your hard drive. They probably would do nothing even if they found them. But, and here's the thing. If you are going to feel guilty and worried about that questionable content then leave it behind. You will ruin your flight. Your nerves might show as you cross the frontier and draw unwarranted attention. The fact that you even asked this question shows that this is a source of anxiety for you. You have your answer. Go in peace. Walk in beauty.