Converting MP3's to Itunes compatible songs

[Caspian]

Ok, I'm not sure if this is considered "legal" by this site, so here's hoping.
I just got the new Foo Fighters album (it freakin rocks btw). However, its encoded so that if you just straight copy it, it'll skip like mad. It does however have software on it that will allow you to copy it as a Windows media file. My question is: is it possible to change the encoding to what Apple uses so I can put it on my ipod. (I dont believe this is actually illegal in any sense, since I will be using it for my own personal use.) Does anyone have any personal experience with other cd's that do this and how to back them up as something other than a normal mp3 file?

Thanks

(if I shouldnt be posting this, I'm sorry, I can delete it if you'll let me know)

EDIT: figured it out

[Kitsune]

Rip the CD using Apple Lossless, then convert that to MP3 if needed.

I feel that would be your best bet.

(You could also use WAVE)

Lemme know if it works out.

[Reze]

Re: Converting MP3's to Itunes compatible songs

Ok, I'm not sure if this is considered "legal" by this site, so here's hoping.
I just got the new Foo Fighters album (it freakin rocks btw). However, its encoded so that if you just straight copy it, it'll skip like mad. It does however have software on it that will allow you to copy it as a Windows media file. My question is: is it possible to change the encoding to what Apple uses so I can put it on my ipod. (I dont believe this is actually illegal in any sense, since I will be using it for my own personal use.) Does anyone have any personal experience with other cd's that do this and how to back them up as something other than a normal mp3 file?

Thanks

(if I shouldnt be posting this, I'm sorry, I can delete it if you'll let me know)

EDIT: figured it out

Rip it as a Windows media file. Then import it into iTunes, I believe it should convert it automatically.

[Lunaryn]

Re: Converting MP3's to Itunes compatible songs

Could also try cdparanoia / CDex, that's pretty good at getting past most of the nonsense they do with those discs, particularly if you have a CD burner, as those tend to be more forgiving of format oddities.

cdparanoia's available from xiph.org, same as Ogg stuff, but is GNU/Linux only. CDex is for Windows and uses the paranoid-cdda engine from cdparanoia. I forget where it is but you can probably find it via google or freshmeat.net

As far as legalities go, in the US you have some rights to copy works you have a valid license to, and the record labels' argument that you should never ever be allowed to rip a CD and encode it to your music player or whatnot largely hinges on the notion that you're creating a derivative work. This is a little like arguing that you're making a new composition from another person's composition if you transcribe it from sheet music to "a#4b4g2" type notation. It's legally gray, mostly because the business interests involved are powerful and most judges don't have an intimate understanding of computers.

What you definitely don't have a right to do under U.S. copyright law is publically redistribute your copies, e.g. on FastTrack, or to sell the original media and retain your copies (you're required to destroy them, I'm not quite sure but I think you can just include them with the original media as well, if they are on transferrable media...). Private redistribution (e.g. casual sharing among friends) is largely unaddressed by legislation, since it was entirely a non-issue until very recently.

And I have heard some sources say that you're only allowed one extra copy, and others suggest that isn't specified. Haven't studied enough to know that, could just be differing judicial interpretations. As with almost everything on law, the explanations here should be taken with a grain of salt, because in the end it all comes down to what the judge determines the law means...

Addendum: I should briefly mention the DMCA... it basically muddies the whole thing. Under a strict interpretation of section 1201a, it can be construed to make the actual ripping illegal simply because the publisher tried to make it difficult to do. OTOH, there's a largely ignored clause that says that nothing in that section shall be construed to overturn fair use (backup copies are part of the fair use doctrine). This more or less means whomever the judge is more sympathetic to wins, as far as I can tell.

[fastcart]

Re: Converting MP3's to Itunes compatible songs

Guys, this thread is over 3 months old... and the OP said, "EDIT: figured it out."