Feel the Burn

Retailers and individuals will now be able to burn copy-protected DVDs using the same copy protection technology, called CSS, that's used on commercial DVDs, reports Variety.

The announcement, which came after years of negotiation between studios and consumer electronics companies, opens the way for burn-while-you-wait kiosks at Wal-mart, for example, which plans to deploy such a system. Also possible: download-to-burn at home, though this requires a new DVD burner for your PC, and special blank discs.

The technology will especially benefit indies and niche libraries unable to attract shelf space. Approval was required from the DVD Forum, which controls the DVD format, and the DVD Copy Control Association (DVD CCA), which controls CSS.

What's unclear is how much effect the new systems will have on illegal download-to-burn, which works with existing DVD burners and discs, has no copy protection, and is, obviously, free.

Movie Clean Plays Dirty Pool, Studios Say

All of the major studios have sued a company that allegedly takes DVDs, modifies or deletes scenes and dialog that it considers objectionable, then sells the edited movies on DVD-Rs, Intellectual Property Litigation Reporter reports. The studios charge that the company, Movie Clean, is infringing their copyrights, and are seeking damages, an injunction, and destruction of the infringing goods.

The studios are clearly in the right, in my opinion, if the allegations are accurate. Creating an edited or revised version of a work - in copyright terminology, creating a derivative work - is one of the exclusive rights of the copyright owner. And taking an entire work, altering it, then selling it as a substitute for the original is scarcely fair use.