# Can a DVD from the library be accidently recorded over?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-dvd-from-the-library-be-accidently-recorded-over/388035>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 15, 2007, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-dvd-from-the-library-be-accidently-recorded-over/388035 "2007-01-15T05:51:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-dvd-from-the-library-be-accidently-recorded-over/388035/1 "2007-01-15T05:51:30Z")

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I like to take out movies on DVD from the library. Often, I watch movies from the kids’ section. I like animated stuff.

So I was wondering, could I accidently record over one of these DVDs with some, er, not so appropriate stuff and get in trouble. I have no intention of doing this. In fact, I’m terrified of it accidently happening. I’m just wondering if it’s possible, and how I can avoid any bad mistakes from happening.

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-dvd-from-the-library-be-accidently-recorded-over/388035/2 "2007-01-15T05:57:31Z")

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No, the sort of DVDs you’d be checking out of the library are read only. There’s not the remotest possibility of recording over them, even if you wanted to. Now, you could with a DVD-RW, but there’s no reason a library would be using those, as the very act of copying a movie and putting it on a recordable medium for distribution would be a copyright violation.

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**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-dvd-from-the-library-be-accidently-recorded-over/388035/3 "2007-01-15T06:20:32Z")

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Thanks Q.E.D. I appreciate that. One less thing to wonder and worry about.

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**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-dvd-from-the-library-be-accidently-recorded-over/388035/4 "2007-01-15T06:30:18Z")

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Although, there’s always the possibility of returning the case with the wrong movie in it…

_SHIT! I thought I was returning ‘The Lady and the Tramp’ but I accidentally returned ‘Ladies and Tramps VII’! Oh God, honey. Oh God._

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**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-dvd-from-the-library-be-accidently-recorded-over/388035/5 "2007-01-15T10:52:57Z")

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[QUOTE=Q.E.D.]  
No, the sort of DVDs you’d be checking out of the library are read only. There’s not the remotest possibility of recording over them, even if you wanted to. Now, you could with a DVD-RW, but there’s no reason a library would be using those, as the very act of copying a movie and putting it on a recordable medium for distribution would be a copyright violation.  
[/QUOTE]  
Unless the library had a license for such distribution. It’s not always a rights violation.

This applies to “public performance” as well. The kind of home videos you get at rental places are licensed for home viewing only; you can’t rent a hall and invite thirty people to see them–or, I believe, show them at schools. However, at the library, I have seen a number of videos that were marked something like “performance rights included”: they could be shown at public gatherings and schools. I seem to recall they were mostly CBC and National Film Board stuff.