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Encrypted DVDs
http://forum.linhes.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3994		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Girkers [ Tue Mar 29, 2005 4:30 am ]
Post subject:  Encrypted DVDs
I appreciate the reason why MythTV (and thus KnoppMyth) can not play encrypted DVDs due to DMCA, but why can Windows software do it and not Linux can't.

This is something I have been thinking about all day (I know doesn't say much for what is going on in my head), but it confuses me. I can install WinDVD, PowerDVD or something similar on my Windows box and I can watch an encrypted DVD. Put the same DVD into my Linux box and oh no I am breaking the law :?

Is there any wise person out there that can put my mind at ease as to why you on Windows, but can't on Linux (read KnoppMyth).

P.S. Sorry if I have posted this in the wrong area.
Author:  Greg Frost [ Tue Mar 29, 2005 4:54 am ]
Post subject: 
I think the software vendors for WinDVD and PowerDVD pay a licencing fee to the owner of the encryption algorithm. As I understand it, decrypting without paying this licence fee in the US violates the DMCA.
Author:  Girkers [ Tue Mar 29, 2005 5:01 am ]
Post subject: 
Well that would make sense, so Cyberlink (PowerDVD) must be paying out a fortune for all the software that they give away.

Anyone else got any ideas?
Author:  ceenvee703 [ Tue Mar 29, 2005 7:40 am ]
Post subject: 
http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html#1.11

http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html#4.8

"Makers of equipment used to display DVD-Video (drives, decoder chips, decoder software, display adapters, etc.) must license CSS. There is an annual $15,000 fee for the CSS license, and qualification is a lengthy process... The license is extremely restrictive in an attempt to keep the CSS algorithm and keys secret"

$15K isn't really that much to a company... that's less than a full-page color ad in some magazines.
Author:  tjc [ Tue Mar 29, 2005 7:56 am ]
Post subject: 
They're also a Taiwanese company and thus may get to ignore those pesky US laws...
Author:  SnapperDragon [ Tue Mar 29, 2005 11:19 am ]
Post subject: 
They can't ignore laws they consider pesky if they intend to sell their products to the USA. I thought this decoding was done on your DVD drive also. That would make it seem redundant to have it also required in software.
Author:  Girkers [ Tue Mar 29, 2005 4:29 pm ]
Post subject: 
From reading the links that ceenvee703 provided I found quite informative and interesting. Where do I get one of the t-shirts? :lol:
Author:  ceenvee703 [ Tue Mar 29, 2005 5:43 pm ]
Post subject: 
I bought one ages ago from ThinkGeek.com (or maybe copyleft.org?) but it doesn't look like they sell it anymore. The front says "I am a circumvention device" and includes the four lines of perl qrpff code.
Author:  brendan [ Tue Mar 29, 2005 7:01 pm ]
Post subject: 
ceenvee703 wrote:
$15K isn't really that much to a company... that's less than a full-page color ad in some magazines.


Right, but the additional financial risk they incur when *signing* the agreements is substantially higher than $15K. The knoppmyth, mythtv and the majority of the software component developers are never going to incur such risks themselves for various reasons.

Back to the original post: I've seen answers to the implied question, but they cannot and will not be answered/discussed here for legal/DMCA related reasons.

-brendan
Author:  Girkers [ Tue Mar 29, 2005 7:10 pm ]
Post subject: 
brendan wrote:
Back to the original post: I've seen answers to the implied question, but they cannot and will not be answered/discussed here for legal/DMCA related reasons.

-brendan


I wasn't implying anything in my original post, from this discussion I now fully understand why KnoppMyth can not support encrypted DVDs. I have seen plenty of posts on this and other forums that would allow me to play them if I so desire, I just could not understand the reasoning why Windows software could and Linux software couldn't. And now I know :D
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