New DVD formats with “copy” protection (April 30, 2006)

Fundamentally, it is necessary to copy a DVD in order to view it. The computer in your DVD player must first copy the data from the DVD into memory before it can even display the contents. Of course, once there is a copy in memory, nothing stops a computer from saving it back out to a new DVD. Thus, making a copy of a DVD is approximately the same work as playing the DVD.

Since copy-protection is fundamentally impossible, the mere attempt becomes intrusive. Sadly, it looks like the next generation of DVD’s are going to have even such efforts, not less. Thus, we will continue to have the same basic problems as now:

• Linux users like myself will face legal charges if we play a copy protected DVD for personal viewing.
• Many basic operations will not be possible even on Microsoft Windows and on OS/X. For example, users will not be able to make backup copies of a DVD, nor will they be able to make mix DVD's for their friends.
• It will be impossible on legal players to skip those annoying "FBI blah blah blah" warnings at the beginning.
• Legal DVD players will be more expensive, because they must pay for a license to decode the new content.

Blah. Times are changing, and copyright-based protections are just not practical any more. It is time for the media industries to move on and find a new business model. Meanwhile, Americans should revert enough of DMCA that our Linux users can legally watch DVD's on their computers.