Not only legal, this was an old way of distributing software.
In the early 1980s, engineers over at the Dutch broadcasting organization Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) had this fantastic idea of distributing computer programs over the radio
I wish I was born in 1970 so I could’ve experienced all the old technologies as well as the premium LSD of the 90’s. So many people used to tell me, “You would’ve done great int he 80’s,” I didn’t know what that meant until I was older and they’re right, I would’ve enjoyed myself and I would’ve been one of those nerdy fuckers. Then again, I’ve enjoyed myself throughout my life and I am a nerdy fucker lol.
The first OS I ever used was Windows 95 in 1998 at 6 years old. I didn’t grasp the inconvenience of dial-up until I was a little older but everything after Windows 2000 was fast.
We all taped the radio. If we ran out of cassettes we’d get sticky tape and put it over the hole at the top to allow recording over recorded stuff we didn’t want
A friend of mine spent weeks creating a single cassette mixtape off pausing recording while songs were being played.
As a kid in 1980s Portugal, I used to go to a store selling software for the ZX Spectrum (which loaded the software from audio tapes) where the guy just had a bunch of tape copiers and would copy the game as you waited. This was in the outskirts of Lisbon, so hardly an out of the way place.
Good thing too - that’s how I got my hands on an Assembly compiler and decompiler (this was before the GNU tool suite) and really started my way into programming.
So it was de facto legal enough that somebody could have an actual store doing it.
Had an audiophile buddy who bought tons of Japanese import vinyl records which he would burn(copy) to tape for me. Later on to CD then even later to DVD’s. Many years later bought tons of original CD’s at flea markets at rock bottom prices. Mainly got them for the artwork. Was not ever worried about the illegality of it.
Edit: I also have a boatload of .flac rock songs and oldies I downloaded as well and have stashed away.
Is that even legal??
Snitches get stitches.
Not only legal, this was an old way of distributing software.
https://www.amusingplanet.com/2019/04/people-once-downloaded-games-from-radio.html?m=1
Yeah but I read it took forever to download them.
Everything about computers was slow then. There was a time when you could read text faster than modems could run text through them.
I wish I was born in 1970 so I could’ve experienced all the old technologies as well as the premium LSD of the 90’s. So many people used to tell me, “You would’ve done great int he 80’s,” I didn’t know what that meant until I was older and they’re right, I would’ve enjoyed myself and I would’ve been one of those nerdy fuckers. Then again, I’ve enjoyed myself throughout my life and I am a nerdy fucker lol.
The first OS I ever used was Windows 95 in 1998 at 6 years old. I didn’t grasp the inconvenience of dial-up until I was a little older but everything after Windows 2000 was fast.
We all taped the radio. If we ran out of cassettes we’d get sticky tape and put it over the hole at the top to allow recording over recorded stuff we didn’t want
A friend of mine spent weeks creating a single cassette mixtape off pausing recording while songs were being played.
Yeah, it would be fair use. Selling the tape would be illegal tho.
Amongst other things it dependend on the country.
As a kid in 1980s Portugal, I used to go to a store selling software for the ZX Spectrum (which loaded the software from audio tapes) where the guy just had a bunch of tape copiers and would copy the game as you waited. This was in the outskirts of Lisbon, so hardly an out of the way place.
Good thing too - that’s how I got my hands on an Assembly compiler and decompiler (this was before the GNU tool suite) and really started my way into programming.
So it was de facto legal enough that somebody could have an actual store doing it.
No, it was not legal. Did I give a fuck. Nope.
Had an audiophile buddy who bought tons of Japanese import vinyl records which he would burn(copy) to tape for me. Later on to CD then even later to DVD’s. Many years later bought tons of original CD’s at flea markets at rock bottom prices. Mainly got them for the artwork. Was not ever worried about the illegality of it.
Edit: I also have a boatload of .flac rock songs and oldies I downloaded as well and have stashed away.
It’s totally legal to tape the radio for personal use
Call the feds