Pinning down the RIAA personal copying position

... or attempting to anyway.

The Patry copyright blog has posted an excellent article that attempts to pin down the RIAA's position on the "legality" of making copies of legally obtained recordings for personal use. He digs out testimony from congressional hearings 1n '87 re: DAT recordings (remember when that was the end of the world?) and dissects recent statements on air and published FAQ's to try and pin down an actual clearly stated stance on the subject.

Ultimately Patry calls for a solution that gives "honest people what they want, clear guidance; instead of wasting Congress’s time on gluttonous issues like getting even greater statutory damage awards, why not spend that time drafting a personal use exemption – not fair use guidelines, but a real exemption."

Amen. It is good reading. Check it out.