Jules Europe

Certain airport customs around the world have been known to even inspect hard drives,

seanyg

We've got nothing to hide though, so they can inspect it if they like. Can they tell (by looking at your hard drive) if your software is legit?

Jules Europe

Whether you have something to hide or not, the point being that by making a copy of a legally owned or an illegally owned copy of say in this case of a CD to your hard drive, or a downloaded album from the internet to your hard drive. This is in theory illegal but in practice most people do it. As for telling if this software on your machine is illegal this is doubtful but not being a computer buff I couldn`t say for certain but imagine somebody on the forum could .

seanyg

It's alright, I'll ask my husband - he's a computer expert and it's his pc anyway! How can it be illegal to have software (legal or otherwise) on your hard drive? That's the point of software, surely?!

Jules Europe

I think you will find that the software companies will disagree with this unless the software is specifically for your PC like a program etc.

seanyg

Ah I think I'm confusing myself... We'll have the operating system on the hard drive obviously, and Microsoft software (applications like Word, Excel, Outlook etc).

Isn't this allowed then?

Summer-Caitlin

I am concerned about this too. I wondered about taking music into Canada. Just now we are trying to sell all the things we can, including CD's, we are currently burning favourite albums on to our PC and copying them either on to our MP3's or just storing them on the hard drive. I am concerned that this may be seen as illegal and we may get stopped at POE. Can anyone let me know if this might be a problem?

We also just bought a laptop and Microsoft Works, Excel and all that is already stored on it, we did not get any software discs, would this cause a problem?

Thanks all

Jules Europe

The software that you are speaking of is legal because its designed for your PC. The problem is when you import music and films etc onto you PC a different thing altogether.

seanyg

So it's ok for us to take our hard-drive with Windows and associated programs on it? (we were going to wipe all music/movies before hand anyway, so this won't be a problem).

Jules Europe

By selling your original cd`s this means that you are not allowed to keep back-up copies either. Becuase the moment you get rid of the original, you are by law supposed to get rid of the copy that you have made of it as well. Thus by not having the original CD, what you are now copying onto your PC now becomes illegal (but many people will argue that even copying onto a PC or another format is illegal anyway even if you have the original) Also if you give one of your CD`s to a friend as a present you are still not allowed to keep a copy for yourself. The moment you get rid of your original you forfeit the copy as well.

All this sounds crazy and is not normally enforced but it is the law. I suppose customs is one of the few places that you are ever likely to be caught doing this anyway. I would have said putting them into you household removal boxes is better than actually taking them on you through customs.

Jules Europe

Despite what the law says I don`t imagine anything would happen to you if you kept this stuff on your PC but if you read above a couple of people seem to think that you will be running a risk if you have un-authorized copies on your PC going through customs and the people that have stated this are based in Canada as well.

I think its a case of making up your own mind about what the risk would be.

Summer-Caitlin

I see your point Shame I guess I'll have to dispose of my music before I go... think I can still buy Richard Marx in Canada?

Tim Steer

Don't forget that you can have legally downladed music on your computer..All the music that is paid for from itunes etc....

Jules Europe

My God, you don`t actually listen to Richard Marx I think customs would confiscate this straight away just looking at it.

Jules Europe

Good point........ But then how do customs know whether this music is legal or illegal by looking on your hard drive or the copied CD`s that you have on you. Other than keeping all your monthly bills from these sites what proof is there thatyou have acquired these legally. Also what happens if you have lost the bills?