Now, if you're going to lock this topic, please stop and lock your banner ads.

Educating myself as I am, I read the dvdtalk.com banner today, "Rip your DVD's to your PSP", an advertisement for X-copy9 software.

Having a huge dvd collection and seeing how it would benefit if I could "rip" my dvd's to a smaller memory and play while traveling, is this legal?

Maybe I am missing something but I thought one could NOT copy any dvd's legally. Did I miss something or can one use this Xcopy9 thing and save (legally owned) dvd's to these smaller players??

If not, why would a site like dvdtalk with very specific rules about pirating, allow their advertisers to sell copying software CLEARLY encouraging this practice.

Thanks!

If the DVD is encrypted with CSS, as almost every commercial one is, you are correct. The MPAA probably just hasn't got around to suing the manufacturers of this software yet.

Occasionally we see ads like this that are served from that ad network used by DVD Talk. If you provide the URL properties of that ad Geoff can look into it.

Thanks for moving this to the proper forum.

Which sentence is correct?

If one cannot, then how are we receiving advertisement for software to do just that? Does this X-Copy9 software advertised here not recognize taht encryption?

How can one tell if a dvd is encrypted with CSS?

Responses are in the quote.

Thanks for the explanations X !

It was one of your banner ads. If it helps, clicking on the banner takes you to this link I bookmarked: http://www.xcopy9.com/?a=4075

You know, this ripping banner is still running?

I just saw this ad today.



It was a flash ad so I took a quick pic of the url after clicking the ad.



Hope that helps.

Here's my take.

As we progress further and further into the digial cinema age, the need to move your films from DVD to your portable media has increased. Before setting our policy on discussing DVD Backup stuff, the major use of them was for copying DVDs (rental, friends, etc). I feel that DVD to ipod/PSP is within the bounds. If I have a copy of a movie and want to view that movie on my ipod I shouldn't have to buy it yet again....

So perhaps we should re-evaluate the policy

woah.

who hacked geoff's account???

Funny, if I brought up this product in the tech forum I would probably have been suspended for it. Granted I have no problems with products like this and hate DRM. We should be able to use our DVDs that we paid for on whatever device we want. However, this product is a clear violation of the DMCA. There is no way around that. Whether you are breaking encryption to make movies for your ipod or to copy a DVD you are still breaking the law. Even if it is a stupid law.

Really? Then you would have been the first.

Yeah, you are probably right, but I doubt the thread would have stayed open long.

So has any "re-evaluation" of the policy taken place? I'm in the market for software to copy my DVD's to PSP, and would like to start a thread to find others opinions.

What's the difference in copying a DVD to watch it on a PSP or copying it to make a back up copy? Why is the PSP so special that copyright infringement is ok in it's case?

I guess because nobody really makes backup copies of their *own* DVDs for themselves..but now you can make a "backup" to play on your PSP instead of buying it again is technically a use for "backing up" now...

There's absolutely no difference between ripping a DVD for your PSP and having an iPod with you when your CDs are at home. It's the same exact thing.

A copy of something you own for yourself is completely legal.

Then why is every thread about copying a DVD. Copying a music or dialogue track from a DVD shut down within 5 min of being started?

I'm not trying to start an argument I just think it's hypocritical to now say copying a DVD to your PSP is ok when in the past anything having to do with breaking the encryption on anything was not ok.

Except when you rip a DVD, you break the encryption, which is a violation of the DMCA, isn't it?

That's been the main consideration and the major difference between CD and DVD.

Yep. Hollywood bought a law to turn a perfectly legal act into an illegal act under the guise of fighting piracy. But that's another thread.

As a practical matter, CSS is not even a speedbump to ripping DVDs. But the actual software used violates the DMCA. My guess is that discussing methods of ripping video to portable players will lead to problems for Geoff.

There are some uses for it. I rip to my laptop for travel, as I don't have to fumble with dvd's, and get longer battery life as the dvd drive doesn't have to spin for 2 hours. That's not a true 'backup', but it's close enough.
dave

I suspect threads would be closed for liability issues, but I really have no idea. Whatever the forum rules are for discussion, it's not illegal for anyone to make a backup of media they own for their own personal use. That's all my post was saying.

But you're wrong there. With DVDs the studios got a law passed making it a federal offense to break the copy protection encryption on DVDs. And you can't copy them without breaking the encryption, thus it is technically illegal to back them up.

This isn't the case for CDs, but just for DVDs with their encryption and this lame as law.

so would it be legal to download and burn a dvd that you already own? YOU didn't break any encryption, and you legally own it..... hmm...

I'd be illegal as the encryption was broken on the film. Don't think it makes a diff if you are the one who broke it or not..