The article here makes it sound worse than it probably is. Still, welcome to DMCA's-ville.

Cheers,
-Tim

It is actually worse than America's DMCA, because there doesn't seem to be any fair use laws included there.

Basically, it is now illegal to use your Empeg in most of Europe.

I had once thought only America was in the process of surrendering the best interests of the people to the will of the corporations, but with the stuff happening in Europe and Australia recently, I see this is becoming a worldwide trend. Earth, bow down to your corporate gods.

.... and just when I had finished re-ripping my entire collection of 16,200 tracks with EAC/VBR.

Wanted public enemy no1



This is getting beyond a joke i blame lawyers

.....20 minutes since I posted, and the constabulary haven't got here with the handcuffs yet!
Not only does this make using the Empeg theoretically illegal, but also car and hi-fi products from both mass market and niche manufacturers, Sony, Alpine etc.
European Hi-Fi manufacturers are still smarting under the loopy EU directive that says that they have to contribute towards the safe disposal of their products, a tax that can't be applied to far- eastern manufacturers.
More pertinently video products like Rupert Murdoch's Sky Plus box (Similar to Tivo), which presumably has equivalents in other European Countries, are similarly illegal, as are humble video and DVD recorders.

- excuse me a second whilst I throw my box of audio cassettes out of the window!

This is a classic case of the EU not thinking things through in thousands of pages in loads of languages at my, the taxpayer's expense.

I'll dash a letter of to Rupert tonight, in case he hasn't heard!

Doesn't this make quite a large population criminals now? You just need to use a MP3 player, MD recorder, cassette deck, VCR or TiVo/Sky+. Everybody I know has a VCR...

Up to two years and an unlimited fine, not just criminals, but SERIOUS CRIMINALS, I might as well drink-drive, joyride, mug passers by and do away with people I don't like, the sentences are more lenient!