Hi everyone,

I’m starting my self hosting journey and have run into a snag. I just took a job where I need to get govt security clearance and take polygraphs etc, so I cannot engage in piracy.

What that means in practice is actually abiding the ToS for all my media, so I cannot rip DVDs, I cannot capture streams (I believe including YouTube channels because they’re copyrighted and YT ToS but please correct me if I’m wrong because that would be amazing).

What I’ve done so far:

There is legal precedent to rip CDs and digitize books for personal consumption, and I have also begun buying albums I want from Amazon Music (they let you download the mp3 files directly instead of a Spotify/YT Music system).

  • I am going to be hosting immich for my Google Photos replacement

  • I don’t know the best service for a YT Music/Spotify replacement, but maybe Jellyfin of nothing else.

  • I want to have a digital movie library.

So there’s the rub. How can I have a digital movie library without ripping DVDs? It is an unauthorized reproduction and although nobody is prosecuted, it is illegal and I’d have to disclose that.

Any advice is welcome, and I’d love to hear conversation about this.

  • @h3xdumpB
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    47 months ago

    Unless you’re doing a full scope nobody will care. Even then it’s highly doubtful.

    • @New_Yogurtcloset1035B
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      37 months ago

      Even a full scope, they don’t give a shit about ripping DVDs or torrenting. They want to know if you’re a druggie, gay, or terrorist/spy…

    • @New_Yogurtcloset1035B
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      17 months ago

      Even a full scope, they don’t give a shit about ripping DVDs or torrenting. They want to know if you’re a druggie, gay, or terrorist/spy…

  • @ThutexB
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    37 months ago

    pro tip: if you do not read the ToS, you also can’t lie about if you are breaking them or not

  • @rah@feddit.uk
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    37 months ago

    I cannot rip DVDs

    In the US, this is legal:

    “This means that you can legally rip a DVD for personal use, as long as you don’t violate any of the other copyright laws. What does this mean in practice? You can rip a DVD for your own personal use, but you can’t distribute the ripped file to others. You also can’t make a copy of the ripped file for someone else.”

    https://www.videoconverterfactory.com/tips/is-it-legal-to-rip-dvd.html

  • @pseudopadB
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    27 months ago

    Why is ripping a DVD an unauthorized reproduction if ripping a CD isn’t?

    • @Quark__SoupOPB
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      17 months ago

      It’s fair use to copy the files but it’s illegal separately to break the DRM, meaning you can’t digitize a DVD without breaking the law

      • @VinnipinniB
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        17 months ago

        Couldn’t you record the DVD? I know Blurays have HDCP, but I’m unsure if DVDs have a similar protection during playback, since screen recording shouldn’t break the Copyright if there is none.

    • @madjicB
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      17 months ago

      Depends on the jurisdiction

      There might be laws against “cracking” the copy-protection (CSS for DVD, hdcp for BR) although there might be precedent that it’s okay for home use

      • @klaasbob88B
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        17 months ago

        Keep in mind that CSS is so bad that it has been sacked as a “security mechanism” (as the computational power required to crack the key is just a bit above the counting skills of an elementary school student), but I guess we’re more talking about BD’s.

  • @joelnodxdB
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    27 months ago

    you can manually find which movies are out of their copyright period and are free to download, but you’ll only be watching 50s/early 2000s romcoms if you do that

  • @redoubt515B
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    27 months ago

    > so I cannot rip DVDs, I cannot capture streams

    Would any government job with a serious enough mission to require polygraphs and security clearances actually care about this kind of kindergarten illegality.

    Seems like the digital equivalent of jaywalking or rolling a stop sign. Are they also going to check up and make sure you have never burned a CD in your life, or shared a Netflix password?

    • @DicerosAKB
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      17 months ago

      I say fess up and let them decide if they want to delve into the details of your understanding of fair use vs spending expensive polygraph time asking you about important stuff like personal debt or or foreign contacts.

  • @Mrderisant@lemm.ee
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    27 months ago

    Polygraph don’t measure truth. They measure your nerves. If you are nervous about obfuscating your piracy it would show up on the graph

  • @terAREyaB
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    17 months ago

    Do you believe ripping a DVD for personal use is PIRACY? If you do not believe it you will be fine on the polygraph

  • @abandonplanetearthB
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    17 months ago

    Unless money is extremely tight or this is your ultimate dream job, I’d keep looking for other work.

  • @th-crtB
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    17 months ago

    FYI, polygraph tests don’t work. they’re a pseudoscience.

    • @steviefauxB
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      17 months ago

      Yes. There is an ex fbi agent that does talks about this. Clench your butt hole is how you fool it apparently. Thats not a joke. Apparently takes some practice. It massively ridiculous they are used.

    • @moody@lemmings.world
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      17 months ago

      To be pedantic, polygraphs do take legitimate measurements. It’s the claim of their use as a lie detector that is false.

    • @emprahsFuryB
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      17 months ago

      Regardless, they are used to make adjudications. You can be the one to sink millions of dollars suing the feds after the Denny you a job.

      • @th-crtB
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        17 months ago

        yeah, they’re used, but you are no more likely to fail or succeed whether you’re lying or not.

  • @ZealousNymphoB
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    17 months ago

    I actually don’t think it matters if you do anything illegal. That’s seriously hazardous advice at face value but consider the case of Edward Snowden. He omitted his white hat hacking escapades as a youth - though he reported his vulnerability findings to the relevant agency during the time of his indescretions. Consequently, he had little to hide.

    Even then, he obtained a Top Secret clearance and passed the polygraph with flying colors. He is now a futitive - marked as an enemy of the state. While he is a proud American, and I consider him a hero, he lives in Russia where he was forcibly exiled and cannot get return to the states. Even then - he didn’t end up there because he lied on a polygraph.

    Remember the 11th Commandment: Thou Shall Not Get Caught.

  • @RaiseRuntimeErrorB
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    17 months ago

    What country is this? No one cares this much except North Korea and i dont think you would be posting on Reddit if your worried about a little piracy.