That’s why, to this day, and as far as I understand, many Linux distributions do not contain DVD player software decoders. Distributing such systems was technically illegal in the US and it was easier and more legally defensible for the Linux distros to make the users go online and download their own decoders.

The whole thing smacks of the old videotaping lawsuit. In Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, the Supreme Court acted with great wisdom IMO. The ruling was that while copying could be used for ill, there were legitimate uses too and these legal activities meant that the technology could not be banned outright. While I do not support piracy, content producers are very good at proclaiming the sky is falling. They’ve been doing so for decades and have often failed to adapt to changing markets. Their marketing blunders are not the same thing as saying they were correct about copying technologies however.

To play a DVD ought to be legal. It should not be illegal to own and use a codec designed to allow viewing. Furthermore, copying for the purpose of personal use (format shifting) also ought to be allowed. Copy it and sell the copy, that should be illegal. Heck, just copying and giving it away, that should be illegal too (it could deprive the copyright holder of a sale).

The old Fair Use provisions have been pretty thoroughly abused by the media companies in recent years. It’s time to gain that ground back.

Lou
http://www.anonymous-surfing.es.tc