| Many people "burn" copies of their CD's - Compact | | | | Hollywood studios came up with a little encryption |
| Discs - making copies of music, e-books, data files and | | | | system known as CSS or Content Scrambling |
| just about everything else. But what about DVD's? Do | | | | System. This encryption doesn't have anything to do |
| you know how to copy a DVD and is it legal? | | | | with free speech issues - it's all about money! The |
| Let's look at the legal issues first, and then we'll | | | | Hollywood studios figure that if they put all their cash |
| examine how you go about copying a DVD -- a | | | | into making the movie, the least you can do is pay |
| movie, for example, to a writable disc. Many of us are | | | | them a royalty. It's amazing how many people aren't |
| used to copying files to a CD - using "drag and drop" | | | | willing to do that, which is why the software was |
| technology, which involves dragging some files across | | | | developed that allows you to go around the encryption. |
| your computer screen and releasing them to the drive | | | | Otherwise your DVD copies just would not work. |
| where the CD rests. But copying a DVD involves quite | | | | Now, of course the Hollywood studios and a very few |
| a bit more and there are legal problems to consider. | | | | others have the so-called "keys" to this system - after |
| Before we even get started on exactly how to copy | | | | all, they designed it! But the rest of the non-paying |
| a DVD, you need to become familiar with two | | | | public has to depend on those free, independent spirits |
| important terms - encryption and copyright law. | | | | out there to come up with a way around that |
| LEGAL DISCLAIMER TIME: Now, I am not an attorney | | | | encryption, as indeed they did. |
| and do not play one in real life so make sure you | | | | Circumventing this encryption is generally known in the |
| consult one in your area of residence before doing | | | | biz as "ripping" a DVD (and of course copying the files |
| anything on your own with this information. From what I | | | | to your computer hard drive) - see, you're already well |
| understand it's perfectly legal to burn a copy of a DVD | | | | on your way to becoming a computer geek - "geek |
| - if it's for your private use in your own home as a | | | | talk" and all. If you rip the DVD to the hard drive of |
| backup copy. For example - say you have an | | | | your computer, you can tell if the size will fit on a |
| extensive collection of DVD movies, but you are | | | | regular DVD. If not, you'll need to make one of the |
| worried about your DVD's getting scratched from | | | | choices available to you - such as compressing the |
| using them so much - so you may want to make | | | | data, removing or splitting part of it so it takes up less |
| copies of all these DVD's and keep them in a safe | | | | space. |
| place in case some of them get scratched. That's fine. | | | | When choosing a software package that will allow |
| But if your DVD is encrypted (as most movies are) - | | | | you to rip DVD's you'll need to choose one that fits |
| most software that allows you to make copies won't | | | | your needs. By that I mean there are packages out |
| get around the encryption. (There are multiple sources | | | | there that will allow you to do it all - rip, compress, |
| that offer this type of software now, but it's up to you | | | | remove or split data, in addition to utilities that will let |
| to find them.) Bottom line - if it's encrypted, you're not | | | | you play with the settings on your DVD and affect the |
| supposed to be able to copy it. Why? Because | | | | quality of your final copy. If you're not a computer |
| copyright law says you need to pay a royalty to the | | | | geek, you may not need all those extra features - the |
| person or studio or whoever made the DVD - | | | | quality between a typical DVD and one that's been |
| otherwise you're guilty of copyright infringement. If you | | | | ripped is usually very slight to the average user. If you |
| copy only those videos for your own use, you're | | | | plan on going in the geek direction, you may want a |
| probably ok, but start burning them and selling them on | | | | higher quality end product - in other words, if you're |
| eBay you'll be in trouble with the Hollywood studio | | | | picky, choose a program with more features that |
| system and the government in a hurry. | | | | gives you more control. |
| In the interest of protecting ... well, their interests, | | | | |