[NTLK] [OT] DVD Screen Capture (was: A Newton! I've seen one)

From: Eckhart Köppen (eck1001_at_gmx.net)
Date: Sat Feb 07 2004 - 02:53:45 PST


On Fri, 6 Feb 2004 14:53:13 -0600, Michael Cox wrote:
> So Apple has knuckled under to the MPAA in denying consumers their
> legal right
> to fair use?

Ok, before we continue uneducated speculation in this area (sorry, but
that's just what it is), here are the facts: DVD uses CSS protection
(content scramble system). It is based on a set of keys which have to
be licensed by anybody who wants to impement a DVD playback device or
DVD playback software. Licensing is done by the DVD CCA aka LMI Inc.
The licensing terms have been worked out by a small number of companies
to balance the requirements of the content owners and device
manufaturers (this is similar to what the 4C, 5C and CMLA consortiums
are doing, to be more precise, there is a core of companies which are
part of all those consortiums).

Now the deal is as follows: if you don't sign the license agreements,
you don't get the keys, meaning you can't decode DVD content. If you do
sign the agreements, then you're bound to follow them by the letter,
and violations are quite costly. Among other things, the DVD CCA
agreements rule out screen capture. This is true for all DVD CCA
licensees. You can't "knuckle" under anybody in this area. Either you
sign the agreements or you don't. That's the way it works and will
continue to work in the DRM area.

If you want to educate yourself further in this area, google for DVD
CCA, LMI, 4C, 5C, CPRM, CPPM, Hudson, CMLA, SDMI and so forth.

Eckhart

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