AfterDawn: News

DVD copying study re-appears during DMCA exemption debate

Futuresource Consulting and Macrovision appear to be circulating a study from last year in which they accuse people who copy legally purchased DVDs of piracy. Yesterday Home Media Magazine's Chris Tribbey was reporting it had just been released.

There's no indication from Futuresource that a new report has been completed and the numbers quoted in Tribbey's article are identical to last year's study.



It's probably not a coincidence they are publicizing this report as the Library Of Congress is considering potential exemptions to the DMCA's anti-circumvention clause. Macrovision's copy protection technology can be found on VHS, DVD, and now Blu-ray releases.

If an exemption were to be approved for consumers to make fair use copies of their own discs it could become much more difficult for studios to justify paying for Macrovision's BD+ protection.

It's also possible this is intended to support the lawsuit agains RealNetworks' RealDVD program, which the studios are suing to keep off store shelves.

Written by: Rich Fiscus @ 9 May 2009 10:26

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• 5 comments

• cart0181

  Quote:If an exemption were to be approved for consumers to make fair use copies of their own discs it could become much more difficult for studios to justify paying for Macrovision's BD+ protection.
  Wait, I thought it was already in my fair use to make backups of my collection. Isn't it?
  
  
  Quote:It's also possible this is intended to support the lawsuit agains RealNetworks' RealDVD program, which the studios are suing to keep off store shelves. What is this RealDVD program all about?

  11.5.2009 23:54 #1

• DVDdoug

  Quote:Wait, I thought it was already in my fair use to make backups of my collection. Isn't it? No. Here in the USA, you are only allowed to make personal use copies if there is no DRM cracking/circumvention.
  
  Quote:What is this RealDVD program all about? Try Google! They want to sell something that allows you to copy your DVDs to a server. The copies would have their own special DRM, so that they would only work for the DVD owner.

  12.5.2009 15:37 #2

• varnull

  If you ever needed a reason to never buy a dvd again here it is ;)
  

  
  
  Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work.
  I would rather you hate me for who I am than love me for what I am not.
  “It is poor civic hygiene to install technologies that could someday facilitate a police state.” - Bruce Schneier

  12.5.2009 15:42 #3

• simonf444

  Is anyone really getting excited about this? 25 years ago I got a home video recorder which I used to copy stuff from TV that wasn't strictly speaking mine. I was never sued. Actually, 35 years ago I got a cassette recorder that I used to copy LPs from friends or the local library. I was never sued. Everyone I've ever met does the same thing. I've never met anyone who was sued for it. Do we really think The Powers That Be are going to one day come into our homes and stop us doing stuff like this, regardless of whether Macrovision's involved or whether 'fair use' is appropriately definied within the law(s)?

  15.5.2009 10:15 #4

• IguanaC64

  Yes...it is a felony offense here in America that can be selectively used against you if you appear on someone's radar (highly unlikely, but possible) if you back up your own legally purchased DVD's (or Blu-ray...and maybe even Macrovision protected VHS tapes depending on the wording) according to the DMCA passed a few years ago.
  
  I do it anyway because I'm tired of kids ruining my DVD's and people stealing my movies (including people who just never return borrowed movies).

  15.5.2009 10:17 #5