R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 6-13.1 § 6-13.1-15

Piracy of recordings

In Force
Verified 10/26/2026 · Next check 11/2/2026
effective 10/15/2026Rhode IslandHabitability & Repair

Operative Text

R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 6-13.1 § 6-13.1-15
(a) As used in this section, "article" means a phonograph record, disc, wire, tape, film,
compact disc, audio or video cassette, compact video disc, or other device on which
sounds or images are or can be recorded or otherwise stored.


(b) Unless exempt under subsection (d), it is unlawful for any person, firm, partnership,
corporation, or association knowingly to:


(1) Transfer or cause to be transferred any sounds recorded on any article on which sounds
are recorded onto any other article;


(2) Transfer or cause to be transferred any performance, whether live before an audience
or transmitted by wire or through the air by radio or television, onto any article;
or


(3) Sell, distribute, circulate, offer for sale, distribution, or circulation, possess
for the purpose of sale, distribution, or circulation, or cause to be sold, distributed,
circulated, offered for sale, distribution, or circulation, or possessed for sale,
distribution, or circulation, any article on which sounds or performances have been
transferred without the consent of the person who owns the master article from which
the sounds are derived or the right to record the performance.


(c) It is unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or association to sell,
distribute, circulate, offer for sale, distribution, or circulation or possess for
the purposes of sale, distribution, or circulation, any article on which sounds or
images have been transferred unless the article bears the actual name and address
of the transferor of the sounds in a prominent place on its outside face or package.


(d) This section does not apply to any person who transfers or causes to be transferred
any sounds or images intended for, or in connection with, radio or television broadcast
transmission or related uses for archival purposes or solely for the personal use
of the person transferring or causing the transfer and without any compensation being
derived by the person from the transfer.


(e) Every person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a felony and:


(1) For the first offense is punishable by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars
($5,000) or by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than six (6) years, or
by both fine and imprisonment.


(2) For a subsequent offense is punishable by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars
($5,000) or by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than ten (10) years,
or by both fine and imprisonment.


(3) The court in its judgment of conviction may order the forfeiture and destruction or
other disposition of all infringing articles and all implements, devices, and equipment
used in the manufacture of the infringing articles.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Rhode Island General Laws § 6-13.1-15 prohibits the unauthorized copying, transfer, or distribution of recorded sounds or live performances onto any physical medium—such as tapes, discs, or digital storage devices—without the consent of whoever owns the master recording or the right to record the performance. The law also requires that any article bearing transferred sounds or images must display the transferor's actual name and address prominently on its outside face or packaging. Exemptions exist for personal, non-commercial use and for archival or broadcast-related transfers. Violations are classified as felonies, carrying potential fines and prison sentences.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 15, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Although R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13.1-15 is a consumer-protection and criminal statute rather than a landlord-tenant regulation, property owners and managers who operate venues, common areas, or amenity spaces where recorded media is reproduced or distributed should be aware that knowingly facilitating unauthorized copying or sale of recordings on their premises could implicate this provision. Compliant operators generally ensure that any media-related activities conducted on their properties involve properly licensed or authorized recordings. Maintaining clear policies about commercial media use in shared or rental spaces is a common practice among operators seeking to avoid exposure under this section.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13.1-15 is a criminal statute rather than a tenant-rights provision, but renters who encounter landlords or others selling or distributing pirated recordings—such as through a rental property's common areas or commercial operations—should know that such conduct may constitute a felony under this section. Tenants who believe they have witnessed a violation can report the activity to local law enforcement or the Rhode Island Attorney General's office, which handles consumer-protection matters under Chapter 6-13.1. Tenant-rights organizations or a legal aid provider can help clarify whether a specific situation falls within the scope of this provision.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 15, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 15, 2026
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References Out

No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13.1-2
R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13.1-12
R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13.1-21
R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13.1-23
R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13.1-1
R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13.1-2
R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13.1-2
R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13.1-5
R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13.1-5
R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13.1-5

Related Rules

§ 244.260
Compliance required
§ 14.567
ADOPTED BY REFERENCE
§ 244.340
Sewer and water connections

Source Information

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