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MPAA tracks illegal movie copies

10 September 2003 14:41 by Jari Ketola | 17 comments

The guys at VCDQuality have noticed that strange markings have started to appear on some recent movies. The dots are most likely used by MPAA to track the source of illegal movie copies spread on the Internet.

Many of the first copies of movies appearing on the Net are so called "cam" copies, which are shot using a camcorder in a movie theatre. By inserting unique identifying tags to a couple of frames in a movie, the copyright holders can narrow down the origin of the pirated copy, and possibyly even track down the offender.

Removing the markings is possible, but laborious. I'd bet MPAA has other methods for identifying the copies as well. It remains to be seen if MPAA will be engaging in a high profile pirate hunt similar to RIAA's.

Links:
An example frame with the markings (T shaped dots)
More information at VCDQuality.com

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Hunter007 (Member) 10 September 2003 16:58
It won't happen and if it does they will be boycotted. As the RIAA is going down MPAA will go down too. Hopefully the MPAA will take note of what will happen to the RIAA and not take action [ + quote]
Toiletman (Senior Member) 10 September 2003 17:19
I'm not so sure. This IS a good way to fight piracy. Which is good, but if you just want to download the movie to see whether it's worth seeing or not, then this is bad. I never download cam copies. They're just too bad for me. ;) When you are on your deathbed, you will wonder, "Did I waste my life? Was it worth spending all that time on that?" Do not despair, no one has wasted their life. After all, you can only waste something if you throw it away. And you can't throw life away. [ + quote]
Toiletman (Senior Member) 10 September 2003 17:19
I'm not so sure. This IS a good way to fight piracy. Which is good, but if you just want to download the movie to see whether it's worth seeing or not, then this is bad. I never download cam copies. They're just too bad for me. ;) When you are on your deathbed, you will wonder, "Did I waste my life? Was it worth spending all that time on that?" Do not despair, no one has wasted their life. After all, you can only waste something if you throw it away. And you can't throw life away. [ + quote]
Shegax (Junior Member) 10 September 2003 17:32
Naw it's not even like that, people who encode movies WILL find a way to erase this. Acouple people who aren't "in the know" will get caught. But there is always a way and the MPAA only has a little bit of time till a program or plug in is made to remove those dots. Shega (adrenaline Is the closest Total freedom) [ + quote]
Shegax (Junior Member) 10 September 2003 17:44
But I must add that this is a very good way to fight piracy. unlike the RIAA....... I love movies and I dont mind paying to see them, (it's the DVD prices I hate that makes me rip them to SVCD) Shega (adrenaline Is the closest Total freedom) [ + quote]
Burnaby (Inactive) 10 September 2003 20:26
WTF is wrong with dvd prices? It costs almost the same to buy a dvd as a new music album. How bout you get off your fat ass and get a job, that way you can buy stuff instead of complaining that everything is too expensive. [ + quote]
Bladestor (Junior Member) 10 September 2003 20:45
Shut the hell up "Burnaby", NOW! [ + quote]
sly_61019 (AfterDawn Addict) 10 September 2003 21:33
screw buying stuff, too expensive. I have a job, thank you very muck. The RIAA and MPAA will never win! V4 PS2, flip top, SMD, CDLoader Pioneer 105, Memorex 4X DVD-R DVD Shrink, DVD Decrypter, Nero [ + quote]
sly_61019 (AfterDawn Addict) 10 September 2003 21:44
Must reinterate, if they lower their prices, i would buy music and dvds. But, right now, it is a straight rip off. I heard someone say today that you should be buying the music, not the price of the piece of plastic, but F@CK YOU, thats because you want as much profit as possible. If the musician made the profit, i would have no problem with buying the cd. V4 PS2, flip top, SMD, CDLoader Pioneer 105, Memorex 4X DVD-R DVD Shrink, DVD Decrypter, Nero [ + quote]
wonderboy (Senior Member) 11 September 2003 1:54
WHOA I think dvd prices are ok but music prices are crap they need to lower it like now. [ + quote]
wonderboy (Senior Member) 11 September 2003 1:56
Bladestor you should keep your comments to yourself. If you want to post things like that go to the safety valve section. [ + quote]
Praetor (Moderator) 11 September 2003 8:25
Geez children. We all know that stuff is overpriced and stuff like that but Bladestor, your comments were completely unwarranted. That goes for you to Burnaby. About the 'dots' - it was just a matter of time before stuff like that happened. Now to inform the media that even public viewers that watch movies in theaters are being id'd with dots... another PR nitemare. ASUS A7V8X-X, AMD2500+ Samsung 1024MB, PC2700 360GB [3x120GB, 7200, 8MB] MSI Starforce, GeForce4 Ti4400 128MB AFTERDAWN IRC: irc.emule-project.net, #ad_buddies COME SAY HI! [ + quote]
telemike (Inactive) 11 September 2003 12:29
DVD's are coming down. $14.99 for a new release should be the price tho and not 22.99 CD's should be around $5-$10 [ + quote]
sly_61019 (AfterDawn Addict) 11 September 2003 13:54
I would pay $5 for a cd. V4 PS2, flip top, SMD, CDLoader Pioneer 105, Memorex 4X DVD-R DVD Shrink, DVD Decrypter, Nero [ + quote]
Shegax (Junior Member) 11 September 2003 14:50
I'm a manager at a gym. So I got the job thing covered, and fat lazy ass? sorry doesn't apply either. Dvd prices are crapy, and so are cds. Being an avid skydiver, Id rather spend most of my money on gear than 24$ I could have put twards a pass to jump all day. Shega (adrenaline Is the closest Total freedom) [ + quote]
Motomatt (Senior Member) 12 September 2003 12:35
I dont mind paying 5 bucks to see a movie.. It's the popcorn and cokes that are killing me.... [ + quote]
Actuator (Inactive) 17 September 2003 19:40
besides tracking movies with dots - popcorn and coke really has gotten way out of had price wise, in theaters (it can cost more for that crap than for the movie) - but I heard that movie theater food is where the theater gets most of their revenue - the movie makers and actors get the lion share of the money spent in the theater - so when u pay 5 bucks for popcorn and whatever, u really are keeping the theater in operation! [ + quote]