Rich Fiscus
16 Oct 2007 21:23
20th Century Fox has become the second studio to offer an additional digital version of a film to consumers who buy it on DVD. The copy, which can be played on computers and some portable media players. The video will be included on a second DVD, and will require that the user enter a 16 digit code found inside the DVD case. It uses Microsoft's PlaysForSure DRM, meaning that besides PC's, players from a number of vendors including Archos, Toshiba, Samsung, and RCA (but not Microsoft) is possible.
Earlier this month Warner Brothers announced that the DVD release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will allow users to download a copy of the movie for playback on a media player, following the sale of Superman Returns with a similar feature.
The studios aren't providing the additional copies of the movies for no extra charge just to be nice. They're looking for ways to give consumers an incentive not to Rip their DVDs. That, in turn, would theoretically strengthen studio arguments against DMCA or EUCD exceptions for otherwise legal fair use purposes and give consumers with little knowledge of digital video an alternative to making DRM free copies themselves.
However, there are many advanced users who prefer to exercise fair use in whatever manner they like, rather than counting on a studio (which may not even have done a very good job at creating a DVD) to provide them with an equally DRM laden alternative format. Regardless of what studios offer (short of DRM free copies) plus the trend towards DRM free digital music, this strategy seems like a short term solution at best. Eventually the widening range of delivery platforms - from optical media like DVD to Streaming and downloads - DRM will likely become more bothersome to content producers than personal piracy is costly.
Source: Reuters