>It's not the copying that's illegal, it's circumventing copy protection >that breaks the law. You can still (AFAIK) legally copy (for your own >use, eg: backup) most anything which doesn't have copy protection. Hmm, >legally speaking, I wonder if "copy protection" includes MacroVision?
AFAIK, it does. More and more, the CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) [ * ] is being written to incorporate by reference certain proprietary standards as if these were Federal standards. The Feds are giving away the candy store to the owners of the proprietary software, without ever requiring the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) [ ** ] to do a sanity check on such software. In particular, I believe that CFR "Part" which refers to DCMA specifically states that Macrovision-encrypted data may not be altered to remove the Macrovision encryption. Hence, the rapid emergence of the usual Macrovision circumvention, the "analog loophole", which I will not describe here for fear of persecution ;-) . I'm sure some already own DVD drives which are all-Region. I know I do. Came that way from Apple Computer as part of my WS-II/300. Later DVD drives which were provided with the very same computer were single-Region. Also, some DVD players may be made all-Region by simple manipulation of the remote control. This, even though the those players have affixed to their cases the "Region 1" sticker, meaning the player is purportedly compatible ONLY with Region 1 DVDs. Finally, some DVD players may be made to output a Macrovision-free data stream. The precise techniques vary with the player, but these usually involve manipulation of the remote control, and alteration of the VIDEO menu of the player. Sometimes a "hidden" menu is involved. Some of the best DVD players are using a single-chip solution (plus a single FLASH chip and a single RAM chip) from a domestic source, which accomplishes all DVD player operations, including DVD drive control and data stream decoding. This chip has supposedly been "blessed" by the "usual suspect" intellectual property owners, hence its wide use in DVD players which feature "progressive scan". Region and Macrovision hacks are well-known for players which use this chip. Lastly, some DVDs are being authored by intentionally including flawed sectors in order to foil one-to-one duplication, which should otherwise be completely legal, as this does NOT remove Macrovision encryption. A defective sector cannot be duplicated, right? But, one of the best known tools is capable of BOTH correcting those defective sectors, AND removing Macrovision encryption. Time for Hollywierd to develop a new business model! [ * ] http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html [ ** ] http://www.nist.gov/ -- PowerBooks is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Enter To Win A | -- Canon PowerShot Digital Cameras start at $299 | Free iBook! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> PowerBooks list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/powerbooks.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[email protected]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/powerbooks%40mail.maclaunch.com/> iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com
