Duh: Report Says DVD Ripping Is A Lesser 'Threat' Than File-Sharing

from the snoooore dept

A research firm has released a new report saying that people are much more likely to get pirated movies from file-sharing networks than ripping DVDs from rental services or friends. While an article about the report says this is "contrary to popular belief", it hardly seems surprising. While the number of tools to simplify and automate the task of ripping a DVD and turning it into a manageable file have proliferated over the last few years, they still pale in ease of use to the relative point-and-click simplicity of file-sharing networks, particularly for novice users. This is fairly obvious, but it's an important point, because it underlines the fact that it's really impracticality, not copy protection that stops people from ripping DVDs in the same way they do CDs. Despite the contention of the reports' authors, copy protection and DRM really don't stop anybody from ripping a DVD -- they just frustrate legitimate customers.

Filed Under: drm, dvd, piracy

AACS Is Like Every Other DRM: All It Does Is Annoy Customers

from the they'll-never-learn dept

The cornerstone of the AACS copy-protection technology used on next-generation DVDs is the ability to revoke keys on playback devices. This means that when AACS keys get cracked (as happened months ago), DVD makers start pressing discs with a new key -- and discs with that key not only won't work in playback devices until they're updated to recognize it, it renders those device unable to play back any Blu-ray or HD DVD discs at all. Sure, the system "works", but at the expense of potentially pissing off customers who have legitimately bought their DVDs. For the movie industry, though, that's a price they've long been willing to pay; the AACS scheme just further illustrates that DRM doesn't stop piracy, all it does is frustrate users.

Filed Under: aacs, drm, dvd, piracy