Interesting topic. What about an HD, i don't plan on taking my CPU, but at least my HD, i have personal pictures there, personal files, will that be a problem? oh, i also have some mp3's friends sent me. Should i leave my HD behind, i have family pictures in it among other files like conversations i'd like to keep.

Thats what I will be doing. to ship my pc over and monitor will cost the same as selling it on ebay and buying a new one over in the US. So I will be bringing in a 200GB Harddrive. As well as personal files, it will also contain my 300 lp record collection compressed as MP3s. Much better than 300 felt tip Cds rattling around in a suitcase!
No one ever questions how those files got onto an Ipod or PSP, do they?

well the thing is, i've ben away from charles for a long time already and we still have a long journey ahead us, i won't in any way be stopped at customs because they don't like what's in my Hard Drive, but i want to keep my personal files, so before i travel i'll make sure it isn't a problem to enter the US with an HD with files they might not be happy because USA has a bunch of copyright laws brazil doesn't give a fuc#

That's why this stuff is so unenforceable. The airport customs officials are primarily concerned with security - so unless you're on some terrorist watchlist and have some top-secret plans or some such, they won't give your PC anymore than a cursory examination, which 99% of the time won't even require you to turn it on.

They didn't with me, and I brought 2 computers with me, an ipod and several flash drives.

Its simple common sense - if you look like a counterfeiter you stand more of a chance of being stopped and asked potentially 'difficult' questions. Most of us will have absolutely no reason to worry and dumping your hard drive because of unfounded fears is simply ridiculous.

The other issue with copied CD's is also largely unenforceable - unless of course you are quite obviously a counterfeiter. For example I bought a DVD on ebay once, in complete good faith - in the ad the guy posted the official box art. Yet what turned up was blatantly counterfeited (in the sense that the box art and disc were quite different from the official version). Now assuming you never knew what the box looked like, how would you know that the copy was 'illegal'? To all other intents and purposes it looked official - quality was as good as the original, just the printed label and box art were different. Are we now saying that we're supposed to know what the original looks like!?

If so I suggest everyone start looking up their DVD's on Amazon, or failing that doesn't satisfy your fears why not dump the lot entirely!

I gave my cd player, so since i don't have patience to put a different cd everytime i want to listen to a music, i converted all my cds into mp3's, so i have lots of mp3's on my comp. Just the thought of deleting them all so i can travel with my HD and then have to spend a day re-converting all over again blah... u know what i mean?

Exactly. Which is why copyright law is for the most part extremely convoluted and practically unenforceable.

Right now it's next to impossible for someone to tell which of your MP3's are legal and which aren't, they would need access to your CD collection to find out which CD's you own so that they know which ones you are authorized to hold a backup for. That presents its own issue - if like me for example you had to leave many of your CD's in your home country, how exactly is anyone supposed to verify what music you own?

What makes it so unenforceable is that if you were to lose your CD collection, you are legally required to delete any legal backup copies you made at the time, as the fact that you no longer own the CD now makes them 'illegal'. Don't know about you - but I can't see a lot of people doing that....

well if for example, someone stole my entire cd collection, so i have them on mp3, i paid for those songs it doesn't matter if they're on cd or on my comp right? i'm not breaking any law, i've been robbed and i don't see the police buying me back all those cd's, but i should delete all my mp3's because i no longer have the original cd? That's like being robbed twice. Do u understand what i mean?
oh and btw no i wasnt robbed, it's just an hypothetical case But for me having my cd's in mp3 is like having house insurance, theres no such thing as cd insurance right?

Exactly - but from a copyright point of view you are "theoretically" supposed to delete any 'backup copy' you made of any CD you no longer own.

If you paid for an MP3 download - its slightly different because the files are encrypted with digital rights management coding - so that you can burn a track to CD a fixed number of times. Also if you are with some monthly subscription services - you lose a lot of functionality if you end your subscription. With some services if you cancel it - you can't use the music anymore at all.

Hi matey i just been to states but only had bout half dozen in my bag dvds, but when i move i'm buying a BIG HD which are very cheap now then you can copy Everything as an image file on your HD and carry the HD's in your hand luggage.
I know a few people that hjave done it mate.. Good Luck.