BD+ is the name given to an experimental Digital Rights Management (DRM) mechanism that will be included on BD-ROM discs. The Blu-ray Disc Association was forced into providing this extra layer of protection following pressure from Fox. The HD DVD group did not agree to provide Fox with such a DRM over AACS. The fears about BD+ surround the possibility of studios like Fox theoretically being given the power to restrict Mandatory Managed Copy (a system that allows users to make digital copies of movies and send them around a home network).
BD+ allows for dynamic encryption schemes, meaning that if the protection were to be cracked, manufacturers could simply change the encryption scheme on new discs, so on single crack could not open up all BD-ROM discs. This is, of course a major advantage over the Content Scrambling System (CSS) protection used on DVD discs which was cracked years ago. All old and new DVDs containing CSS can be ripped from the disc to a HDD, or software is available to simply remove CSS on-the-fly.
Related News:
New AnyDVD HD release from SlySoft targets BD+ (19 March 2008)
Now with the release of v6.4.0.0, a SlySoft press release declares that BD+ is not going to stop it, or consumers, from copying their own discs.
Macrovision acquires BD+ (11/19/2007)
Cryptography Research, Inc. agrees in principle to sell the BD+ copy protection to Macrovision for $45 million USD in cash and stock.
BD+ compatibility issues (10/11/2007)
Samsung releases firmware update "that will resolve freezing issues experienced when viewing Fox titles and their BD+ features.”
Slysoft cracks BD+ (10/31/2007)
Slysoft boss Giancarlo Bettini has said that his company has cracked the new Blu-ray copy protection BD+ even though Sony has suggested that BD+ would be good for at least the next ten years.
