Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Menu
Search
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Storage

    DVD Owners: Fight the Power

    By
    Jim Lynch
    -
    February 24, 2004
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      In yet another stunning display of complete disregard for individual rights, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston has now ruled that DVD X Copy violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. This software provides an easy way to back up your DVDs. We all knew this was going to happen eventually, didnt we?

      No good deed goes unpunished and 321 Studios, the maker of DVD X Copy, is now being punished for providing software that legitimate DVD owners want to buy and use.

      This decision is an outrageous infringement of fair use rights and a slap in the face of legitimate DVD consumers everywhere. How much longer are we going to allow the music and movie industries to run roughshod over our rights?

      Why Back Up DVDs?

      I own more than 200 DVD movies. Why would I need software like DVD X Copy? Simple: Im lazy and somewhat of a “coffee table slob.” I have a six disc DVD player in my living room, so at any given moment I have a number of discs in my player. When I add new discs to the player, quite often I wont immediately put the previously-viewed discs back in their boxes. Most of the time, I just stick them on something on my coffee table and clean them up later.

      Unfortunately, this sometimes means that they get knocked around on the table until I get around to putting them away. This wear and tear can cause scratches that prevent the DVD from screening properly. Its happened before, so being able to back up my favorite DVDs is important to me.

      When I got my first DVD burner, I wanted some good backup software. I picked up a copy of DVD X Copy Express, and it worked fine. Now, unfortunately, it seems that I am retroactively a lawbreaker. Imagine that? I bought a legal product for use with DVDs that I had already purchased and now the government, with one court decision, labels me and every other person who bought the software “probable criminals.” Ugh.

      When is the DMCAs reign of terror going to end? Its gone on for far too long and, when the right case comes along, the Supreme Court should strike it down. Over and over again, special interest groups like the movie and recording industries have demonstrated that they will use the DMCA to trample the legitimate rights of the individual in an unholy attempt to keep their corporate coffers filled to the brim.

      Where are our brave, honest, and courageous congressman and senators on this issue? Theyre on the take — or at least it seems that way. Thats probably how the DMCA got passed in the first place. Lets face it, we have the best government that money can buy and the movie and recording industries pockets are deep indeed. How many of our elected officials even bothered to read the DMCA legislation before they voted on it? My guess is that they simply checked their donor list, figured out how much all the various special interests were giving them in campaign contributions, and voted accordingly.

      What a disgrace.

      To read the full commentary,

      click here.

      Jim Lynch
      Jim manages the PC Magazine and ExtremeTech forums, and is responsible for building community in the forums on both sites. He started managing PC Mag's forum on ZiffNet on CompuServe many years ago. He then transferred the staff and expertise to the Web. He left ZDNet when it moved to San Francisco and came back to Ziff after the split from ZDNet, right before ExtremeTech launched. You can get more background at his personal site: www.jimlynch.com/profile.htm.His favorite movies include Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Three Musketeers (1973 version), Dune (Sci Fi Channel version), and gobs of others. He can't live without his iPAQ Pocket PC—,he uses it at the gym and everywhere else—,and his DVD collection features more than 200 films. His favorite game is Tribes (PC), which is more than three years old but he still plays it all the time.Jim likes interacting with the folks in the forum and the content. 'I Love both of 'em,' says Lynch. 'It's what makes the job fun and interesting.'You're welcome to visit Jim's site for more information about him.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Why Data Security Will Face Even Harsher...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 1, 2020 0
      Who would know more about details of the hacking process than an actual former career hacker? And who wants to understand all they can...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      How Veritas Is Shining a Light Into...

      eWEEK EDITORS - September 25, 2020 0
      Protecting data has always been one of the most important tasks in all of IT, yet as more companies become data companies at the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      How NVIDIA A100 Station Brings Data Center...

      Zeus Kerravala - November 18, 2020 0
      There’s little debate that graphics processor unit manufacturer NVIDIA is the de facto standard when it comes to providing silicon to power machine learning...
      Read more
      Apple

      Why iPhone 12 Pro Makes Sense for...

      Wayne Rash - November 26, 2020 0
      If you’ve been watching the Apple commercials for the past three weeks, you already know what the company thinks will happen if you buy...
      Read more

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×