MPAA hoping to outlaw DVD ripping?

Posted Nov 25th 2006 9:45AM by Brian Liloia
Filed under: Trends, Business

In yet another recent lawsuit regarding copyright infringement, Paramount Pictures is taking Load 'N Go Video to court, claiming that their practices of selling iPods with pre-ripped DVD movies WITH the original DVDs is illegal. The MPAA member company claims that this constitutes copyright infringement, and is illegal under the DMCA, which forbids the ripping of DVDs. Load 'N Go includes the original DVD with iPod purchases, so there is arguably nothing wrong about their practices, that is, if you believe in consumer fair use rights. How will a lawsuit like this affect other aspects of DVD ripping, if the MPAA proves successful? Why can't we just do what we please with our own legally purchased "content"? (Insert rolling of eyes here.)

(via Camcorderinfo)

Reader Comments

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1. How they can prove that it's illegal? If they have all licenses and agreements? But I think if they would have all licenses MPAA wouldn't bring a suit against Load'n'Go Video

Posted at 12:02PM on Nov 25th 2006 by StoNe

2. I think that they can't do anything else than very big noise about it and wriet some papers which nobody needs.

Posted at 4:16PM on Nov 25th 2006 by Alex

3. It's amazing how they still don't get it. CBS loaded some of its late night clips up on YouTube and found that they had about a 10 percent increase in viewers to their TV shows.

I don't get that they don't understand that the ability to share and copy will actually increase sales; not lose them.

This is going to be an unending story I'm afraid.

Posted at 1:59AM on Nov 26th 2006 by Gary Bourgeault (bizofshowbiz.com)

4. Do a search on DMCA. Passed in 1998, it flushed your fair use rights away. In the USA the DMCA makes it a crime to circumvent technical measures taken to protect copyright. The DMCA includes statutory damages for each violation of not less than $200 or more than $2,500 per act of circumvention for the first offense. Those penaties apply regardless of the reason you circumvented the measures. The DMCA does not recognize fair use, only very specific and narrow exceptions, which are reviewed once every 3 years. For second violations for purposes of commercial advantage or private financial gain, the fine is not more than $1,000,000 or imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both.

Posted at 9:47PM on Nov 26th 2006 by Dave

MPAA hoping to outlaw DVD ripping?

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