Is it permissible to copy and sell religious tapes or CDs at low prices with the intention of spreading knowledge and dawah, knowing that obtaining the original copies may be difficult and expensive?

Copyrights, patent rights, and production rights are private rights belonging to their owners and are legally protected by Islamic law. It is impermissible to infringe upon or violate them without the permission of their owners, whether the owner is a Muslim or a non-belligerent disbeliever. This includes tapes, discs, books, and software.

Therefore, it is impermissible to copy or reproduce these materials for sale except with the permission of their owners, because they have expended effort and money on them. Infringing upon their rights is an injustice and a consumption of wealth through falsehood.

However, copying and reproduction without permission are permissible in two cases: 1. If the materials are not available in the markets and are for charitable distribution, provided that they are not sold or profit is not made from them. 2. If there is a strong need for them, and their owners are demanding more than their value after having recovered their production costs with a suitable profit, and this is for the benefit of Muslims and to avert harm, provided that they are not sold for personal gain.