How do I rip a cd/dvd (data) into an .iso or .cdr?

According to the terms of use, it is best not to get into a discussion on the legalities; another thread re. a similar issue was severely edited several times by the hosts. Legalities are not a technical issue, therefore not appropriate to be discussed here.

At best that Macworld quote says it is "unclear". They also qualify it by saying they think it should be allowed, but the media industries say it isn't. The bottom line is, this is Apple's site and they make the rules. There are lots of other sites where one can discuss this, but not here.

Terms of Use 8.2 "Do not submit software or descriptions of processes that break or otherwise ‘work around’ digital rights management software or hardware. This includes conversations about ‘ripping’ DVDs or working around FairPlay software used on the iTunes Store."

Anybody can "think" what they want but what matters is what the courts rule. For example, the courts recently ruled that if you buy software whose license agreement states you are only licensed to "use" the software but that you don't "own" the software is enforceable. Although this decision was in a case about WoW the decision will most likely prevail for other software producers such as Apple. Now there are lots of people who think they own the software regardless of what is said in the license agreement, but the court believes otherwise and that's all that matters.

So be careful about making claims that you can do something just because you read an article in a magazine or saw something on the internet. MacWorld may believe the law is unclear but until the court clarifies it the present law stands. Until it's changed we are bound to follow it.

The main issue at hand here is not whatever the courts decide, but what Apple decides is an acceptable use of its forums. Section 2.8.2 of the Terms of Use say, and I quote:

Do not submit software or descriptions of processes that break or otherwise ‘work around’ digital rights management software or hardware. This includes conversations about ‘ripping’ DVDs or working around FairPlay software used on the iTunes Store.

In some jurisdictions, certain forms of DRM are prohibited by law. DVD region coding in Australia, for example. Despite the Australian courts ruling that enforcement of DVD region coding is illegal there, we are still forbidden from discussing ways to bypass it on Apple Discussions. Even when we're trying to help an Australian Apple Discussions member bypass it, completely legal for him.

We all agreed to those terms of use when we registered on Apple Discussions and we need to abide by them.

Sorry, I was referring to the remark about copy protection and DVD ownership, not the forums.

Actually, the issue over copying a DVD is not a question of acceptable forum activity. Apple can no more go against the law than you or I. As for Australia or elsewhere the matter is irrelevant since the question of legality related to here in the US as remarked in the referenced MacWorld article.

So my remark was and is unrelated to the ToU here.