[wellylug] MPEG/DVD encoding/decoding.

[Tim Nicholas]

On 05/05/04 10:20, Jonathan Harker wrote:
> Tim Nicholas wrote:
> 
>> Jonathan Harker wrote:
>>
>>> JP wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi all
>>>>
>>>> I am looking for options (software or hardware) for
>>>> _legally_ doing MPEG/DVD encoding/decoding on Linux. 
>>>
>>>
>>> DVD decryption under Linux cannot legally be done at all.
>>
>>
>> Isn't this only illegal because of the DMCA, a law for which NZ 
>> doesn't yet have an equivalent? It's not a copyright crime to watch a 
>> DVD that you own (you aren't copying it) no matter how you do it.
> 
> 
> You'd think.
> 
>> What you guys are thinking of is 'No legal way in the US'.
>>
>> Of course, I may well be wrong, but that was my understanding.
> 
> 
> DVDs are encrypted using CSS. Playing them involves decrypting the CSS 
> first, and this is illegal unless you have a licence, which costs money. 

I don't think you're right. What's illegal about it?

> Unfortunately with DVDs, as well as MPEG4 and even encoding anything 
> with MP3, lots of big companies own the IP and don't want anyone using 
> it without stumping up a bunch of cash first.
> 

There are patents relating to those encoding algorithms so you might be 
trampling on that, but it's no a copyright infringement to right a new 
decoder. Just patent infringement. With DeCSS it might not even be that.

Tim


-- 
Tim Nicholas                          ||                      Cilix
Email: tim at nicholas.net.nz            ||    Wellington, New Zealand
http://tim.nicholas.net.nz/           ||   Cell/SMS: +64 21 337 204