DRM to be dumped from hi-def discs?
Feel that warm glow of DRM-free music tracks on iTunes and Amazon? It's spreading. Latest to swallow the anti-DRM pill are the Hollywood movie makers
Feel that warm glow of DRM-free music tracks on iTunes and Amazon? It’s spreading. Latest to swallow the anti-DRM pill are the Hollywood movie makers who could be about to lift at least some of the restrictions on Blu-ray and HD DVD discs.It’s currently being negotiated with the industry bods who license the copy protection system – or Advanced Access Content System as it likes to be known. All hinges on whether the AACS Licensing Administrator can convince the movie men to open the DRM door, just a crack, and let us make limited copies to, say, back-up a film and put it on a PMP.That would address one of the biggest digital rights gripes we have – not being able to do what we want with our movies. With HD DVDs it could even be applied retrospectively to discs already purchased (though not with Blu-ray movies, sorry).There’s just one small catch – as with Steve Job’s DRM-free tracks, we could be asked to pay a premium for the privilege, with lower priced fully protected discs selling alongside ‘managed copy’ ones, as their known. Still, it’s a start.
Contact: AACS Licensing Administrator Related stories:Amazon enters the music download business EMI kills DRM – for a price DRM watch: music won’t budge, film takes a bashing Streamburst ditches DRM for digital watermark HD DVD hacker just wants to play fair
Dan Grabham
Editor-in-Chief 
