Breakfast with Girls

Djangoman

To protect DVD from piracy, well, in terms of software it has to be in copy protection. I don't know much about technology, but I believe that's the thing that should be emphasized instead of this ridiculous fingerprint. The idea is to make illegal copying impossible. Copy protection, that's it. Period. It's an everlasting battle of course, anyone with knowledge would be challenged to break the code, but that's life. But still the idea would be the same. Not by limiting the use like the new "technology" we're discussing now.

Now what about backup, well, studio/ manufacturer has to provide cheaper price so people would think it's better to buy another DVD as backup instead of copying. the gap between buying new original DVD and making a copy should be narrowed and narrowed and narrowed, until if possible, cheaper to buy new. Yeah, like comrade klandersen said above.

All these steps should be combined with better law enforcement of course, since piracy out there is not just petty organization but very very large and organized network.

The Bus

Simply said, anything that can be projected/shown/displayed/played in a private setting cannot be protected from copying. There's just no way. You cannot protect it. It can't be done with software, it can't be done with music, it can't be done with books, it can't be done with movies, it can't be done with TV shows, (in time) it can't even be done with hardware.

The cat is out of the bag.

They need to stop worrying about the copying and ask why people are copying. The same people that steal a $7 DVD have no issue paying $7/week for bottled water. Which is, you know, free* already.

* Very very cheap.

Djangoman

That's why I say it's an everlasting battle. Region code, RCE, and many others for instance. The one inventing such gimmicks might think they are a good measure, but technology again overcome them.

But clear thing is, the proposed RFID technology above is ridiculous and certainly won't overcome problems in piracy.

l_xtopher_l

Won't happen.

1) Would make buying DVDs as gifts, impossible. Couldn't even have your friend pick up the latest release on Tuesday for you, when they buy theirs.

2) Would make for no used DVD market, no Ebay, no Gamestop trade-ins, etc.

3) Would shut down 100% of online DVD sales and rentals, from DDD to Netflix.

4) Customers would stop buying DVDs by whole. If you can't have control of your own media after YOU purchase it, why even buy it in the first place?

dx23

My thoughts exactly. This has to be an Aprils' Fool joke or the biggest waste of money on a research. And if I was an UCLA administrator, I would personally fired everybody involved in this project and sent them packing with the people that greenlighted Gigli, the ones that created the D-VHS and the EZ-DVD.

Or maybe it was that for the first time, the monkeys in the lab actually ran the research.

DRG

I have a hard time understanding why so much time and energy is put into limiting DVD's functionability. Plus this 'solution' has nothing to do with anti-piracy, if anything it encourages it.

"Dude, can I borrow this DVD?"
"No, because it's got that fingerprint bullshit. I'll just make you a copy."
"I thought you couldn't copy these."
"Naw, some guy in Finland cracked that the second day these were out."

Cornelius1047

In lieu of your example, it would probably have to be the whole right hand.

K

D-Ball

Congratulations to engineering professor Rajit Gadh for eating up funds that would have otherwise been spent on a feasible copyright protection system. "Who are the ad wizards that came up with this one?"

DVD Polizei

In the case of Blu-Ray DVDs, do not ever make Blu-Ray writers available to the public. Never. In addition, do not sell the media to the public.

If people want higher capacity burners, create a new format with a slightly different wavelength. I'm consistently amazed at the people who are in charge of anti-piracy. It almost seems as if they love it on one hand, but then scream and kick when it happens on the other.

Piracy can be stopped to a mere trickle, but it requires certain technology to be exclusive to only one particular sector of the market.

When we have companies releasing media writers and media, it just negates the anti-piracy process. I guarantee you, if we couldn't get our hands on DVD Writers and medai, DVD piracy would be non-existent.

We need two forms of technology to fight piracy, while at the same, providing the public with a comparable service. If the hardware and media can be limited to the public, the piracy will decrease.

DVD Polizei

I think Gadh is a former engineer of the Baath Regime.

speedyray

Ok, I am a big fan of fixing piracy. I figure I pay for my movies so everyone else should as well. But damn, even I think that is insane. Who would buy this. And since I don't buy hardly any new movies, how would I purchase used or over the internet. These guys have to be crazy.

DVD Polizei

I wonder he has kids. And if he does, I'm really sorry.

Drexl

What about people who lost their hands in an accident or something? Are they going to be discriminated against?

I know this would never work in the general marketplace, but I could almost see it happening in a limited capacity such as for Academy screeners or early review copies of discs.

DVD Polizei

Actually, if you want to get into tracking, it's not as elaborate as Gadh would want it. Simply modify the video track digitally with a serial number which repeats every minute or so (totally oblivious to anyone watching the movie). Then, if an illegal copy is found on the net, you simply "read" the bootleg and track the serial to the review copies which were matched with names and addresses, etc.

I still think the easiest way to fight piracy is simply reduce the prices to that of the price of a bootleg itself. Just imagine what would happen if movie labels decided to sell their new releases for $5 a piece. TV shows for $15 a box set.

I would almost bet anyone, their sales would increase. Why? Because instead of someone buying or even shoplifting a copy and then copying it for dozens of people ready to pay an easy $5 (without the artwork and whetever else), people would then say, "Hey man, I can buy the damn thing for $5 and have a brand spankin' new legit version. Sorry, don't want your stuff anymore."

What we have is an industry wanting to have the cake and eat it too. I think if piracy was such a big and wide problem as they would tell us, then the industry would be dropping their prices. But they are not, and continue to waste money on insane people and their ideas of control.

meowwwwwww

^ Your post both frieghtened and enlightened me. I will never ever EVER allow anyone to monitor what I do in my own home without my knowlege! Even for something seemingly as harmless as what DVDs I watch. So they better not install any such tracking features, EVER. I agree the root of the piracy problem is the industry's greediness. That "cake" analogy of yours is dead on. The only way to fight piracy is beating it at its own game. (aka. Go cheap!)

bodomnet

Worst idea ever.

dsa_shea

I also heard that there is an attempt by law enforcement to stop the rash of bank robberies. They said that they are just simnply going to close banks down to keep it from happening.

Jason

Would be good for promo or preview copies sent to media outlets, academy screeners, or other limited uses, but as a consumer item this would be a disaster.

Adiras

Keep in mind this is Wired magazine, most of their features don't see the light of day, and for good reason at that.

tasha99

This will never make it past The American's With Disabilities Act. Sadly, the people with the greater disability, the people stupid enough to invest their time and energy in inventing this, will not be protected. It's a sad state of affairs when our lawmakers put physical disability above mental ones.

rexinnih

D.O.A., R.I.P. Asta La Vista Baby........

Bacon

when did the onion.com change their URL?

someone needs their head examined for even thinking about doing this.

Scott Connors

Quote:

Originally Posted by atari2600

a) why do they care if people let friends BORROW their dvds - isnt the point to try and prevent people from copying them?

If someone lends a friend a dvd, then the company doesn't receive a royalty on that viewing, This isn't as ridiculous as it may sounds: in some countries public libraries have to pay royalties on the books they lend out to make up to the publishers and authors for lost sales. I certainly don't agree with this line of reasoning, but the argument is out there and has its proponents.

And what if this is held to constitute fraud?

I hope that this idea dies the death it so richly deserves, but I for one cannot dismiss it lightly as "dead-on-arrival." If Walt Disney can get the copyright laws redone to keep Mickey Mouse under its control, then Jack Valente and his goon squad can force this down consumer's throats.

Scott Connors