AfterDawn: News

CES 2008: Warner did not violate HD DVD contract

According to BetaNews, after the Blu-ray press conference at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Warner Bros. President Ron Sanders answered a question everyone has been wondering, whether Warner violated their contract to support HD DVD or not. The answer was, "We did not violate any contract."

We recently reported that one of the six big movie studios, Warner Bros., has abandoned the HD DVD high-definition format, and shifted towards Sony's Blu-ray. Shortly after the whole HD DVD camp expressed their disappointments and Toshiba even hinted that Warner broke the contract. Warner's Ron Sanders however isn't concerned about the situation, responding that Toshiba might be upset and could even file a lawsuit, but wouldn't have anything to accuse Warner of.



"Clearly, [Toshiba and the HD DVD Promotional Group] have reason to be upset... But we fulfilled our obligations to them. That's why we will continue to provide movies in the HD DVD format through May rather than stopping now. They very well could file a lawsuit, but we have done everything that was required of us. We did not violate any contract," said Sanders.

Source:
BetaNews

Written by: Matti Robinson @ 8 Jan 2008 9:33

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• 15 comments

• nobrainer

  What else would you expect from a MPAA member when the MPAA's choice is anti consumer DRM laden Blu-Ray!
  
  DRM-Ray is the format of choice of the MPAA and its all about locking down content to stop piracy, this is why Warner has shifted position. Do you actually think that the digital switch over is about a better product? there is no way to stop piracy from the internet now because every PC is a peer, so the only option is to control the hardware, and that's exactly what is happening with HDMI HDCP, (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) its about closing the analogue hole and making content incompatible! the MPAA do not like Hd-DvD because of the lack of the global price fixing tool which is region coding, and the extra level of DRM on Drm-Ray BD+.
  
  BD+, DRM only on BLU-Ray allows studios can run ANY and i do mean ANY code they wish in the name of protecting their media, including phone home authorisation and the ability to disable your player if its found to be running a hack!
  
  http://www.wired.com/politics/security/c...s/2005/11/69601
  
  Originally posted by wired link: Real Story of the Rogue Rootkit:
  
  Sony claimed the rootkit didn't phone home when it did. On Nov. 4, Thomas Hesse, Sony BMG's president of global digital business, demonstrated the company's disdain for its customers when he said, "Most people don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?" in an NPR interview. Even Sony's apology only admits that its rootkit "includes a feature that may make a user's computer susceptible to a virus written specifically to target the software."
  
  However, imperious corporate behavior is not the real story either.
  
  This drama is also about incompetence. Sony's latest rootkit-removal tool actually leaves a gaping vulnerability. And Sony's rootkit -- designed to stop copyright infringement -- itself may have infringed on copyright. As amazing as it might seem, the code seems to include an open-source MP3 encoder in violation of that library's license agreement. But even that is not the real story.
  

  
  
  The RIAA Soundexchange Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
  
  The MPAA Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, DISNEY, PARAMOUNT, FOX.

  8.1.2008 10:13 #1

• Leningrad

  Every film studio will abandon HDDVD and favor blu-ray instead.
  This will eventally leave Toshiba and NIC to deal with the hoard
  of angry consumers who already purchased a HDDVD player when no new
  movies will come out for HDDVD.

  8.1.2008 10:24 #2

• red2tango

  Quote:What else would you expect from a MPAA member when the MPAA's choice is anti consumer DRM laden Blu-Ray!
  
  DRM-Ray is the format of choice of the MPAA and its all about locking down content to stop piracy, this is why Warner has shifted position. Do you actually think that the digital switch over is about a better product? there is no way to stop piracy from the internet now because every PC is a peer, so the only option is to control the hardware, and that's exactly what is happening with HDMI HDCP, (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) its about closing the analogue hole and making content incompatible! the MPAA do not like Hd-DvD because of the lack of the global price fixing tool which is region coding, and the extra level of DRM on Drm-Ray BD+.
  
  BD+, DRM only on BLU-Ray allows studios can run ANY and i do mean ANY code they wish in the name of protecting their media, including phone home authorisation and the ability to disable your player if its found to be running a hack!
  
  http://www.wired.com/politics/security/c...s/2005/11/69601
  
  Originally posted by wired link: Real Story of the Rogue Rootkit:
  
  Sony claimed the rootkit didn't phone home when it did. On Nov. 4, Thomas Hesse, Sony BMG's president of global digital business, demonstrated the company's disdain for its customers when he said, "Most people don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?" in an NPR interview. Even Sony's apology only admits that its rootkit "includes a feature that may make a user's computer susceptible to a virus written specifically to target the software."
  
  However, imperious corporate behavior is not the real story either.
  
  This drama is also about incompetence. Sony's latest rootkit-removal tool actually leaves a gaping vulnerability. And Sony's rootkit -- designed to stop copyright infringement -- itself may have infringed on copyright. As amazing as it might seem, the code seems to include an open-source MP3 encoder in violation of that library's license agreement. But even that is not the real story.i dont know if you're mad that blu-ray is winning the war,but everything sony related gets you typing.i personally dont care about your DRM worries because more movieswill be released because movie writers feel more secure in making a movie that they can make money off (example,crysis sold only 80 000 copies because there's 5000 downloads a day for that game).there still will be an unlocking software to remove DRM and i never found a problem with getting anything off the internet.you also seem like a big piracy downloader,im sure you wont have problems at all.

  8.1.2008 11:12 #3

• chaos_zzz

  Quote:What else would you expect from a MPAA member when the MPAA's choice is anti consumer DRM laden Blu-Ray!
  
  DRM-Ray is the format of choice of the MPAA and its all about locking down content to stop piracy, this is why Warner has shifted position. Do you actually think that the digital switch over is about a better product? there is no way to stop piracy from the internet now because every PC is a peer, so the only option is to control the hardware, and that's exactly what is happening with HDMI HDCP, (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) its about closing the analogue hole and making content incompatible! the MPAA do not like Hd-DvD because of the lack of the global price fixing tool which is region coding, and the extra level of DRM on Drm-Ray BD+.
  
  BD+, DRM only on BLU-Ray allows studios can run ANY and i do mean ANY code they wish in the name of protecting their media, including phone home authorisation and the ability to disable your player if its found to be running a hack!
  
  http://www.wired.com/politics/security/c...s/2005/11/69601
  
  Originally posted by wired link: Real Story of the Rogue Rootkit:
  
  Sony claimed the rootkit didn't phone home when it did. On Nov. 4, Thomas Hesse, Sony BMG's president of global digital business, demonstrated the company's disdain for its customers when he said, "Most people don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?" in an NPR interview. Even Sony's apology only admits that its rootkit "includes a feature that may make a user's computer susceptible to a virus written specifically to target the software."
  
  However, imperious corporate behavior is not the real story either.
  
  This drama is also about incompetence. Sony's latest rootkit-removal tool actually leaves a gaping vulnerability. And Sony's rootkit -- designed to stop copyright infringement -- itself may have infringed on copyright. As amazing as it might seem, the code seems to include an open-source MP3 encoder in violation of that library's license agreement. But even that is not the real story.i think bd is a better product but it's not easy to copy
  
  download almost 30gb? that would take days plus bd discs are still expensive
  
  I hope this stops piracy cuz i personally think it's gone to far
  
  Music - who pays for it?
  
  Software - download the demo and get the crack? or just get the all thing
  
  Games - get it somewhere? now what no online gaming?? well mod it so u access other servers
  
  Movies- hosting sites everywhere? now what i don understand english? get a subtitle those come out fast nowadays
  
  I guess internet has helped companies to earn money like google and helped other to lose and i guess they have the right to be angry.
  
  Of example it's beacuse of piracy that the psp is failing behind the ds cuz companies now that releasing a game for it it's a waste

  8.1.2008 11:43 #4

• lxfactor

  i like chaos zzz's post =] makes sense.

  8.1.2008 12:15 #5

• redux79

  chaos zzz is right but unfortunately bd+ is an all or nothing approach. Either companies are completely secure and no one can backup anything or movies, games, and software are wide open to attack only being limited by the consumer’s prowess and conscience.
  
  The problem with bd+ isn't the lack of software to unlock drm; it's the water marking on the physical disc that makes it impossible to copy from master to backup. Also blu-ray players don't have the ability to play bd-r or bd-rw. As far as i know there are no blu-ray drives that are capable of burning only reading. If sony has their way believe me they're going to keep it like that.

  8.1.2008 12:43 #6

• xyqo

  chaos is right. It has gone way too far now. They have a right to protect their intellectual property but they're being way too heavy handed with it. The new business model is "make as much as you can, loose nothing making it and get back what you already lost from those who took (i.e consumers) with insane and frustrating licensing.
  I'm all for Blu have been from the start I think it's technically superior and a better general content medium (IMO) but come on even the most blu of fans can see that what it's being used for is kinda messed up.
  
  
  This is my first post in MONTHS :D

  8.1.2008 14:17 #7

• SDF_GR

  Quote:@nobrainerGet a job, make some money to affort buying BD.
  You feel that RIA,MPAA,Sony are the bad guys cause you cant/dont let you steal from them?
  
  Thats the worst/ridicule's excuse that i have ever heard, you are a joke.
  Find a ferrari owner and beat him to death cause he uses alarm and locks he's car , or even better go to Italy and blow up ferrari's factory cause they have as a default equipment the immobilizer and alarm to the cars that they manufacturing.
  You couldent have a more suitable nickname.
  
  Be friendly to our planet tho, dont throw to the thrash bin your HD-DVD player,either is and 360 external drive either is a deck player.
  Recycle it.

  8.1.2008 15:28 #8

• hughjars

  Warner can claim what they like, looks like they'll be needing a lot of that $1 billion pay-off.
  I believe the story is that Warner got half, $500 million, with Fox getting the rest.
  
  They look likely to be spending quite a lot of time - and not a small amount of money - in court.
  That's another little part of this tale that is far from settled.
  
  Anyhoo.
  
  Copying what you have already bought is not a crime.
  Swapping the content you already bought to a different format does not make you a criminal.
  
  I could care less what the letter of the Big Money/Corporate World lobbied & bought law says, the fact still stands that 'the people' will use the content they own how they like, one way or another and if big business wants to get in the way of that then they can prepare to be run down - even if it takes time to accomplish.
  
  No matter what the viral/shallow 'thinking' crowd pretend 'everyone thinks/knows.....etc etc'.
  
  DRM/'security' is what has gone too far, actually.
  
  From compatibility conflicts stopping me using my own property the way it was intended to bought and paid for software that is out-of-date and no suitable update yet available to resolve non-play issues this whole so-called 'security issue' is a joke gone sour long ago.
  
  The fanclub/support chorus can pretend to be the common man talking on this all they like but the actions of the people show otherwise.
  
  From the lie that 'Home taping is killing music' in the 1970's to the latest BS it's all the same kind of cr@p, scare stories to justify a DRM gravy train
  (which actually does nothing and never has done anything whatsoever to halt the real money-making 'pirates').
  
  Wake up.

  8.1.2008 18:32 #9

• SDF_GR

  ^ and you actually believe that if HD-DVD was the winning format the security level would have been the same as it is now? Cause i dont thing so.The Movie industries would ask more security from HD-DVD and you know that.
  One way or the other time has showed as that everything can be unlocked, so DRM, security levels etc are excuses for and by fanboyz.
  They all are the same.

  8.1.2008 20:49 #10

• camaro17

  Originally posted by hughjars: Warner can claim what they like, looks like they'll be needing a lot of that $1 billion pay-off.
  I believe the story is that Warner got half, $500 million, with Fox getting the rest.
  
  They look likely to be spending quite a lot of time - and not a small amount of money - in court.
  That's another little part of this tale that is far from settled.
  
  Anyhoo.
  
  Copying what you have already bought is not a crime.
  Swapping the content you already bought to a different format does not make you a criminal.
  
  I could care less what the letter of the Big Money/Corporate World lobbied & bought law says, the fact still stands that 'the people' will use the content they own how they like, one way or another and if big business wants to get in the way of that then they can prepare to be run down - even if it takes time to accomplish.
  
  No matter what the viral/shallow 'thinking' crowd pretend 'everyone thinks/knows.....etc etc'.
  
  DRM/'security' is what has gone too far, actually.
  
  From compatibility conflicts stopping me using my own property the way it was intended to bought and paid for software that is out-of-date and no suitable update yet available to resolve non-play issues this whole so-called 'security issue' is a joke gone sour long ago.
  
  The fanclub/support chorus can pretend to be the common man talking on this all they like but the actions of the people show otherwise.
  
  From the lie that 'Home taping is killing music' in the 1970's to the latest BS it's all the same kind of cr@p, scare stories to justify a DRM gravy train
  (which actually does nothing and never has done anything whatsoever to halt the real money-making 'pirates').
  
  Wake up.
  honestly man calm down, it IS illegal to copy what you have bought, how do the corporations know if your copying it for someone else? hmmmmmmmmmm? they don't, thats what they are worried about, if they knew that it was only a back up for yourself then you would be allowed to do it, but since you would be able to download it then burn it the same problem as dvd would pop up, PIRACY! so they thought "hey, maybe we shouldnt listen to the retards like hd-dvd fans and all other anti DRM people, and NOT allow people to burn copies of our movies." They the other guy from sony says, "yeah, that would save us the current problem we have with pirating and save us alot of money that we already list because of the weak DRM on current dvd's.
  
  Who is with me, THEY ONLY WANT TO PROTECT YOUR CONTENT SO IT CANNOT BE PIRATED!
  
  And chaos_zzz you are exactly right, pirating has gone way to far, thats why i pay for all of my music and media. i support every word you said.
  
  Peace and DON'T pirate!

  8.1.2008 23:14 #11

• redux79

  @camaro17 I can respect your point of view; it's very straight forward and doesn't waver in the least. However I'm having trouble understanding why you are so staunchly against piracy when the very definition of piracy wavers and bends to suit the end means of certain corporations.
  
  It technically is illegal to backup media that you pay for however that contradicts the definition of fair use. There was an article floating around a few months back that proposed the idea of allowing a small number of backups for certain media. I believe it involved a kind of water marking in which you would phone home in a sense to request the ability to make a backup of your master copy. You would only be allowed to make 1-3 copies and I'm pretty sure there was some kind of extra charge after the first backup. Because of the water mark the media could only be copied with the copyright holders consent. I haven't heard anything about this idea since and it seems to have fallen through the cracks so to speak. That would be perfectly legal yet we are now moving to a point in time where consumer rights are more of a privilege not a right.
  
  I could argue piracy vs. fair use forever, as far as everyone paying for all music and movies I honestly think sales would plummet. Most people who pirate simply don't want to invest in an album or movie just from seeing or hearing a short promotional commercial/trailer.
  
  Sony has almost always been at the forefront of drm that tends to just make people more determined to crack whatever protection is limiting their content. There seems to be a comprehensive 3 tier system in place now
  1. Watermark all blu-ray media
  2. prevent/delay giving blu-ray stand alones the ability to play blank/backed up blu-ray media
  3. Enforce ever changing drm that is probably being developed for future cracks as we speak
  (I could be wrong on any one of these points but any 1 out of the 3 nullifies the idea of playing backups)
  
  That strategy pretty much accomplishes they’re goal. However once people realize that they’re being force fed I can see blu-ray just sort of hanging around for a few years and never really taking off. In the end you make less money because of drm. Either piracy comes to halt all together and most people won’t buy nearly as much product, or everyone simply pirates your product and companies make less money. Drm hurts consumer and corporation alike no matter what way you spin it.

  9.1.2008 01:17 #12

• CaLiMaCk

  hughjars cracks me up every time, we all know paramount gets paid off, but he denies it and says not a dime of pay off money was involved, but yet warner decides to jump ship and automatically no questions asked they were paid off and he knows the exact amounts, all reported from the same sites that reported the paramount payoff too! i love it!!!
  
  we all know they were both paid off, but he wont admit that.

  9.1.2008 08:29 #13

• borhan9

  Originally posted by Leningrad: Every film studio will abandon HDDVD and favor blu-ray instead.
  This will eventally leave Toshiba and NIC to deal with the hoard
  of angry consumers who already purchased a HDDVD player when no new
  movies will come out for HDDVD.Agreed this is the way the whole thing is going :)

  9.1.2008 20:05 #14

• Sontiago

  I used to have lots and lots of sony products UNTIL their secret rootkit attack on customers came to light. Then I swore not to have any more sony stuff. It's a shame that blu-ray will most likely win. I have both of them hd and blu (yes I know I gave in to my promise) and love them
  both almost equally. I had thought the cheapest (hd) would rule in the end. WEll I guess I'll be able to buy tons of cheap hd disks when they give up on them like UMDs...
  
  Sony, really no longer consumer friendly for a long time....
  
  Just my thoughts...

  11.1.2008 23:23 #15