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Breaking the law: one-third of US residents rip DVDs

arstechnica.com — A third of consumers have made copies of DVDs in the last six months, according to new survey results from the US and UK. This number is up from a year ago, but a majority of these users say they only copy their own DVDs for personal use.

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  • Chris4, on 07/09/2008, -12/+108In related news - researchers announce that the sky is blue and water is wet.
    • emaredubyou, on 07/09/2008, -29/+2That's news to me! I always thought water was dry and the sky was green, man was I way off.
      • btschul, on 07/09/2008, -4/+9fail
      • cheezintern, on 07/09/2008, -3/+3well I think the sky in china is a shade of green and the chemical bath flowing where the yellow river used to is dry, in the sense that there is probably very little actual water. So in fact emaredubyou, you're absolutely correct.
    • masterm1nd, on 07/09/2008, -2/+12The sky isn't actually blue. It appears blue (sometimes)
      • popfrogs, on 07/09/2008, -2/+4PHOTOSHOPPED.
      • haydesigner, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5"PHOTOSHOPPED"

        More like the fact that he has actual knowledge of color theory. Doesn't make your response any less lame though.
    • Hangly, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYn5hxeFt10

      Breaking the Law, Breaking the Law!
  • jcani, on 07/09/2008, -19/+9"Despite the fact that the majority of DVD copying is for purely personal use, "

    Riiiiight >;-)
    • DangerMouse9, on 07/09/2008, -4/+14So you think the majority of people copy DVDs to sell?

      • trogdoor, on 07/09/2008, -2/+1See the comment from funnyboy88 below.
      • NeoNightmareX, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1@ Trogdoor:
        I read the comment, he....I mean, his friend rips the DVDs from Netflix. Where does it say that he.....I mean, his friend sells them?
    • masterm1nd, on 07/09/2008, -1/+4Quoting the description: "but a majority of these users say they only copy their own DVDs for personal use"

      I read that as they admit to copying their own DVD's that they already own for personal use. So, dugg parent comment because that is BS.
  • funnyboy88, on 07/09/2008, -4/+154Netflix + DVD ripping = Huge library of unwatched movies waiting for m....umm, my friend that does that.
    • ProjectGSX, on 07/09/2008, -0/+54Im digging your comment because that is a neat although illegal idea and in no way means that I do this too. Or, rather, my friend.
      • JudgeMonkey, on 07/09/2008, -1/+9You make it sound like that isn't also a painfully OBVIOUS idea. Wow, renting movies and illegally copying them... that's new.
    • pathouston22, on 07/09/2008, -7/+4So whats the point of having a huge library of unwatched movies?
      • jesusfish, on 07/09/2008, -1/+31You can watch them.
      • shadeOfGrey, on 07/09/2008, -2/+29I just feel safe and secure knowing they're there.
        I mean my friend does.
      • bman85, on 07/09/2008, -0/+10LOL you get the stupidest question of the day award.
      • catfish182, on 07/09/2008, -0/+9A netflix account along with a gamefly account makes life quite nice.

        for my friend of course
    • RudeTurnip, on 07/09/2008, -1/+5I have a friend that does this, too. However, the new Netflix streaming box will probably cut down on this since it is much more convenient than having to swap discs out of a DVD player or wait for discs to arrive so my friend can then rip them to H.264 with DVDFab, copy them to iTunes and watch them over AppleTV.
    • LordRahl72, on 07/09/2008, -1/+14I rip Blu-Ray movies does that count?
      • phore, on 07/09/2008, -1/+14Obviously not, as long as you post a torrent of your blu-ray rip. For backup purposes of course.
    • EwMo, on 07/09/2008, -7/+1Netflix free trials (4 DVDs at a time) + MacTheRipper + Roxio Titanium = 4 new DVDs every 3 days. Lather, Rinse, and Repeat every 2 weeks with a different card.

      I know a guy who does that. And distributes them to all his friends. And watches them himself.
      • scott88008, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6Now that's clearly unethical. Especially with multiple cards. A person with multiple credit cards should have the wherewithal to flow a little money back to Netflix.
      • surfacewound, on 07/09/2008, -0/+8So what, he gets a new P.O. Box every time he changes the card? I find it hard to believe Netflix would keep giving out free trials to different new accounts that all mysteriously have same address, and paying for all those P.O. boxes would just be stupid.

        Or you're just lying.
    • cam0man, on 07/09/2008, -0/+20I worked at a Blockbuster in college when they had their summer movie pass program. You could rent up to 3 movies at a time and as soon as they were back, you could get 3 more. We had a lot of customers back then, probably 3 years ago who did this and they were our favorite customers.

      Netflix treats it the same way, the best customers are the rippers because they return hte movies quickly and always keep them mint.

      The best part of the blockbuster gig was that blockbuster puts all the movies in their own cases w/ those security locks on them and we just throw away the originals. So not only did I collect over 900 movies that summer, but I had all the original cases too.
      • PoopStick, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Wait what? Netflix puts you on a slow cycle if you return to fast... Now BlockBuster you can return in store all day long. so after 1 month i no longer needed to rent Xbox games i had played their entire selection.
        Hell may have copied a few here and there or maybe the entire collection... most likely not since that would be illegal.

        But really Net flicks will slow down your movies by a few days here and there if your return them to quickly. as in return the same 3 movies in the same day that i received them
      • shadeOfGrey, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1@ poopstick
        I think Netflix stopped throttling high volume users. It used to be blatant but I remember them catching some flack for it. If they still do it must be very subtle because I don't notice any delays anymore.
    • EntropyFan, on 07/09/2008, -1/+4Let me understand.
      You pay for the netflix subscription.
      You then pay in time to rip the movies
      You then pay again for storage (either HD or blank DVD's)

      Why pay so much instead of just getting them back from Netflix? I intend to keep my Netflix subscription because they are always releasing new movies..
      • jull1234, on 07/09/2008, -0/+8other than the obvious pack rat mentality (which I totally sympathize with), it could just be a strategy of 'buffering" as well. Rip the 3 dvd's you have, send them back, watch the content during the turnaround time, repeat as desired.
      • pr0t0, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1I ripped all of my DVD's with DVDecrypter and used DOS to join the .vob files. I thought I would do the same thing with my Netflix subscription, but realized there is no point. Any movie I can get through Netflix, I can always get again. Why waste the time, effort, and disk space to store it? How often am I really going to watch it in the next year?
    • Rainemaker, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1[who said math isn't fun?]
      According to Netflix, they've rented billions of movies. (Source: www.netflix.com) Conservatively, lets say that means one (1) billion. One third (fta) of that is 333.333 million. Lets say (conservatively again) each movie cost $10 bucks. Ahem, not bad.
      On the flip side, each copy (pursuant to USCA) is punishable by $150,000. 150,000 x 333,333,333 = apx. $50000000000000. (5x10^13)
      (no guarantees on math, but pretty sure it's close)
  • badassninja, on 07/09/2008, -17/+7Why rip when the people of the interweb and the warezzzz do such a better job at doing it then me and you do. F requesting a movie on netflix, it's called a good torrent site and a high speed connection.
    • PoopStick, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1why pay anyone besides hard drive manufactures is what i figured out.
  • TEHxINTERWEBS, on 07/09/2008, -4/+40Do what you want, cause a pirate is free! You are a Pirate!
    • marksism, on 07/09/2008, -1/+24Yar-har fiddle-dee-dee, being a Pirate is alright with me!
      • ciano, on 07/09/2008, -0/+16Do what you want, cause a pirate is free! You are a Pirate!
      • Red1Delta, on 07/09/2008, -5/+2Arr yarr, ahoy and avast, dinky-dink-dink-a-dinkadefast!
      • RudeTurnip, on 07/09/2008, -2/+11If I'm a lumberjack, is that OK? I sleep all night and I work all day!
  • Redge, on 07/09/2008, -4/+39I never rip DVD, I'll just download DVD rips instead!
    • Mononuclear, on 07/09/2008, -3/+11Yeah I just download DVD rips, watch them on comp and then delete them when done. I don't want to waste DVD's.
      • pathouston22, on 07/09/2008, -1/+28You're doing it for the enviornment, right?
      • raptor87, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6Way to be green, pressing all those discs is bad for the environment
      • Mononuclear, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5Honestly.. I am just cheap and don't want to buy DVDs... but now that you mention it I am glad I can help the environment too.
  • rinpoche, on 07/09/2008, -3/+97In order to solve this horrible problem, we should just arrest and lock up 1/3 of the US population at random.
    • dullnation, on 07/09/2008, -1/+25You just blew my mind.
    • MadEnvoy, on 07/09/2008, -0/+20Shhhh, don't give 'em any ideas...
    • mrgermy, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3Naw, that's implausible.

      You have to lock up the entire population, minus the RIAA folks, and then check everyone's PCs and see who was being evil and stealing from the hard working studio executives, actors and DVD presses.

      Then we rip them of their souls and store them where they stored the Ark. Duh
      • BDOUG, on 07/09/2008, -2/+3They do that now, it's called being "tough on crime" with a strong police presence in minority neighborhoods. OK, not quite 1/3 but you get the idea...
    • EwMo, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3Well we already spend $55B/year, whats a couple dozen more billion?

      Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story ...
    • expert01, on 07/10/2008, -3/+1Except that the article is wrong - not even 5% of US and/or UK know how to rip a DVD.
    • manishsinha27, on 07/11/2008, -0/+1Excellent Reply... ROFLMAO
  • MariusAgricola, on 07/09/2008, -1/+51"Despite the fact that the majority of DVD copying is for purely personal use, Futuresource's report will surely be used by the industry as further justification for strict DRM schemes and lawsuits against users. "

    Stupid monkeys never learn.
    • DreKor, on 07/09/2008, -0/+13Who do you think paid for the survey?

      There's no way these numbers are valid, simply because 1/3 of the US population isn't technologically literate enough to copy a DVD.
      • TheInformer, on 07/09/2008, -0/+7Remind me again of the percentage of people whose VCRs/DVD players have a flashing "12:00" on them?
      • HonoredMule, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2It was noted that only 25% of the people copying DVDs were competent enough to rip them with PC software. I CAN believe that under 1/9th of the US population rips DVDs in a semi-competent manner, and more than 2/9ths do so by any alternate means they can figure out (like the mentioned s-video cable and presumably VCR).
  • acrodev, on 07/09/2008, -1/+34Any law not based on wisdom is a menace to the state.
    • Suneet67, on 07/09/2008, -3/+5unless the state is controlled by the corporations
  • Suneet67, on 07/09/2008, -11/+5you cannot copyright combinations of zeros and ones.
    • arjie, on 07/09/2008, -3/+6But you can copyright combinations of alphanumeric characters and some special characters? While I think there's a lot wrong with the way copyright is being enforced and with the length of the copyright term, I don't oppose the idea of copyright per se.

      What is so special about a combination of zeroes and ones that it cannot be copyrighted?
      • Suneet67, on 07/09/2008, -3/+3my comment pertains more towards the enforcement of copyright laws upon digital media ; given that all of it is just a combination of zeros and ones, copies can be reproduced with ease and without damage to the original. The fact that no line can be drawn on this question highlights how no line should be drawn especially when that line is being etched in by capitalist seeking to retain control of their 'combinations of zeros and ones'.
      • arjie, on 07/09/2008, -3/+10I understand. However, digital media is not alone in that respect. Books can be photocopied (more relevantly, scanned) with ease and without damage to the original. Hence if that logic applies to abandoning copyright for digital media, it must also apply to books.

        Removing the protection of copyright.would hurt the small man more than the capitalist. In the absence of copyright protections, if I made a work of art that some publisher believed had the potential to be popular he could take it and make money off it without a penny coming my way.

        Do you really believe that you must have the right to do what you want with any filmmaker's DVD movie? Honest question. If you answer yes, it means that it is unlikely that we may convince each other and we should just go our ways in peace.
      • javaroast, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5"Do you really believe that you must have the right to do what you want with any filmmaker's DVD movie?"

        No I can't do what I want with a filmmaker's DVD, but I can do what I want with MY dvd movie. If by do what I want you mean make backup copies, rip it to my hard drive, stream to other devices, etc.
      • Lukesed, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2The First Amendment and enforcement of copyright law will become mutually exclusive when the digital age makes internet anonymity essential for freedom of speech.

        Yes, I know that isn't entirely relevant, but this thread got me thinking.
      • HonoredMule, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1We just need to go back to a model where copyright/patent/license restrictions mostly apply to commercial use. That protects the little man and big business within the constraint of seeking an *honest* profit model.
    • benologist, on 07/09/2008, -0/+10They're not copyrighting 1s and 0s they're copyrighting a movie. If all you want to do is play with numbers bashing your numeric keypad should be a viable alternative to watching a movie, right?
      • SPECOPS, on 07/09/2008, -2/+2what part of "COMBINATIONS of zeros and ones" did you miss?
      • benologist, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2So play with the 0 and 1 keys and ignore the rest of your keypad genius.

        You can cry it's just ones and zeroes, it's really quite irrelevant that it can be represented in that way. It's a movie, you don't sit there and watch it as ones and zeroes anymore then you stare at a tree to read a book.
    • sexybobo, on 07/09/2008, -0/+11Yes you can.
      • EtherGnat, on 07/09/2008, -1/+5Exactly. To suggest that a photo taken on film deserves copyright protection while a photo taken with a digital camera does not merely because of how the information is stored is ludicrous.
      • Suneet67, on 07/10/2008, -1/+1A Photo taken on film is distinct from that same photo in a digital format because of the non-physical nature of digital media. Even if copyright protections can be ascribed to digital media, enforcement of such copyrights is impossible given that digital media is simply nothing more than a computer interpreting combinations of binary.

        This is the reason that P2P sharing will continue until newer methods of information distribution emerge in the future and why any enforcement is fundamentally impossible
  • AmateurX, on 07/09/2008, -2/+61The other 2/3 probably use P2P...
  • gavdog2020, on 07/09/2008, -4/+471/3 of US residents do not know how to rip DVDs.
    • jdames1980, on 07/09/2008, -1/+38I would bet it's higher than that, more like 2/3 do not know how to rip a DVD.
    • Homest4r, on 07/09/2008, -2/+9The number is definitely smaller than 1/3. The other day my dad wanted me to search a video on iTube and download a song off of YouTunes. He's a pretty quintessential example of about half of americans understanding of modern technology.
    • pt4117, on 07/09/2008, -1/+12There is no way a third of people know how to rip DVD's, let alone do it. This survey has to be flawed.

      It doesn't say how the people were chosen, but I'm guessing it wasn't random phone calls. Probably an online survey marketed towards younger people.
      • kponto, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2It was a survey that was distributed with the latest version of Handbrake.
  • Dralite, on 07/09/2008, -2/+14Honestly, I didn't know one third of the US knew how to rip a DVD... but it's good to know so many people know about the things they can do... if only they would all say ***** the RIAA...
    • bubba9999, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5MPAA in his case - RIAA is the other douchebag organization.
  • glui2001, on 07/09/2008, -3/+7So f'n what?
  • trollick, on 07/09/2008, -3/+23Public Library + DVD ripping = Huge DVD Library for free
    • derrikirred, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2Exactly! And the libraries around here just started renting out Blu-Ray.
    • sevenalive, on 07/09/2008, -2/+1Uh ya if you want to wait months for it to become avaliable.

      Bittorrent + MPC-HC = Unlimited Library of movies and i don't have to spend 1 cent.
  • sixsixsixtimer, on 07/09/2008, -27/+1Breaking the law is breaking the law. I hope that these Bit Torrent and P2P pirates get full and swift justice because intellectual property should be paid for. Maybe computers can come with spyware that notifies a clearinghouse of when a copyrighted DVD is ripped on that computer.
    • nymphetamine, on 07/09/2008, -0/+11No one likes you.
    • inspecality, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4Star of David joke... speaks for itself.
      • sixsixsixtimer, on 07/09/2008, -7/+0Joke? Why don't you just give me the number to your bank account and let me steal half of your earnings if you think theft and piracy is a joke? You will be on the floor laughing.
      • EwMo, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4Yea, star of david, but his name contains "sixsixsix"... hmmm someone seems confused.
      • inspecality, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3Stop worrying about money so much buddy. It's not even yours.
      • artfiend77, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2Damn sixsixsix, no wonder people are trying to get you off of Digg.
      • TheInformer, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2We have an "internet tough guy" here in our midst. Remember to stop off at the drug store to get grandma some tampons, ok?
    • Butters757, on 07/09/2008, -0/+0DVD ripping=/=P2P usage. They probably just keep them in case the original breaks.
      • tendonut, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Lets not try to pretend we are doing it for "backups" because we all know no one really does that. But on the other hand, is ripping DVDs actually illegal? Or is just sharing the ripped DVD against the law?
    • Travelsonic, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1You must not have actually read the laws on your own, from reliable sources, have you?
  • briLo, on 07/09/2008, -3/+8only 1/3 of the US?????????????? Do the others not know how to rip or what?
  • StevoJD, on 07/09/2008, -3/+9I'm one of those 2/3 that downloads their movies instead.
  • darkane, on 07/09/2008, -0/+65I can guarantee that far more than 2/3 of consumers in the US and UK are either incapable of, not knowledgeable enough to, or have no interest in making copies of DVDs. These numbers are -way- off.
    • adamroach, on 07/09/2008, -0/+7Thank you. I was waiting to read that.
    • chispito, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3My thoughts exactly. It's not a particularly quick or easy process, even for someone who knows his way around a computer. Add in encoding into a compact file format and the process is even more cumbersome.
    • dgaspard, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2Seriously.....
    • onthecake, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6Most people cant even use their remote correctly let alone figure ripping out.

      Nice strategy though.. make the numbers outrageous to get the feds attention.

    • ElleBebe, on 07/10/2008, -0/+4i thought that number was way too high as well. I only know of one person who rips DVD's.
    • spencenaz, on 07/10/2008, -0/+4Another blatantly incorrect use of statistics. That is WAY to small of a sample to make the claim that 1/3 of the US does anything. Sounds more like a study funded by the MPAA to try and make their case for anti piracy legislation and civil court actions.
  • salinemist, on 07/09/2008, -2/+5We're all criminals, this is news?
  • joshuaw, on 07/09/2008, -1/+45Sorry, I gotta call BS on this one. 1/3!??? Really, 1/3 of the people in this country don't know how to hook up a DVD player nonetheless copy a DVD. This number must be way overblown. Did anyone else go back to the original press release and notice Macrovision is the sponsor? Anyhow, I could not find any methodology, margin or error or other things that would make this a credible study.
    • superkendall, on 07/09/2008, -3/+3There's a lot of software that makes it super easy to rip DVD's now, and lots of people have loptops. It's much nicer traveling with a movie on your laptop than bringing a disc along.
    • javaroast, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4Very nice catch. In looking at the study Macrovision's sponsorship is very prominent (link is a pdf ) http://www.futuresource-consulting.com/press/2008- ...

      That would be enough for me to doubt the reliability of this particular study.
  • thirdcoastborn, on 07/09/2008, -2/+7I love breaking the law.
  • freshyill, on 07/09/2008, -0/+11I'm a little bit hesitant to believe that 1/3 of the general population can figure out how to rip a DVD. It's probably more like 1/3 of people in the US have a DVD that somebody ripped for them.
    • inigomntoya, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2Or 1/3 of people who have a DVD burner use it to rip DVD's. I doubt that 1/3 of the population even has a DVD burner...
  • NewMediAroused, on 07/09/2008, -1/+9This just means the film companies should take note... YOU ARE CHARGING TOO MUCH MONEY FOR A DVD!!! If DVDs were $5 here (like they are in most countries) nobody would go to the effort of ripping them!
    • intotech, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2I do not know why people jump to the conclusion that ripping music or DVDs is about the price. It is about wanting to use the media on our own terms, in devices we want to use, without having that use controlled and measured by big brother. I have no issue with DVD prices. I do not want to have to a) buy a DVD, and b) an iTunes version, and c)... I want high quality on each device (most digital versions are inferior to a ripped DVD).
      • tendonut, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1This was always my stance on illegally downloading files. Even with music, $1 a song isn't TOO bad if you are downloading one or two hit songs of a CD...but why can't you really find a site with a HUGE library that lets you do as you please with the songs? Why can't I use the song I bought off iTunes on my XM receiver w/ mp3 playback or on my cell phone? Why do I have to settle for low sound quality? Why can't I take -my- song I bought and use it in a powerpoint presentation? If I am going to legally buy music, I want it on my own ***** terms. The only people that the DRM protection hurts are the ones who are doing the -right- thing and paying for the music (and movies). Hell, even the annoying FBI warning on movies doesn't exist for those who download and/or rip movies. The "pirates" get to avoid the hassle of DRM and can download high quality FLAC files or something which is far superior to the MP3 files you actually pay for.
    • Memnochxx, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4I don't mind paying, but I don't want to hassle with discs so they get ripped to my hard drive.
    • ElleBebe, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Price is definitely part of it for a lot of people, though, especially with the economy the way it is. I don't buy DVDs because they're expensive and I can't really afford it right now, but a couple years ago I bought them a lot more often. If DVDs were only five dollars I'd definitely buy one every now and then, rather than never. However, not wanting to pay for them doesn't mean I rip them. I just use Netflix more instead.
  • ngageguy, on 07/09/2008, -1/+71/3 of those surveyed stupid enough to say Yes? WTF?!
  • Borgcube636, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6You are a pirate!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLsJyfN0ICU
  • Cyrock, on 07/09/2008, -0/+0I know I sure do! Although I rarely even rent and burn with dvd torrents and all.
  • Lancelot9201, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5I don't understand how or when this even became a crime - With what a DVD cost no one has the right to demand that I not make a backup copy in case the original gets ruined by my cat, dog, kids, wife or myself..!! Oh let's not forget the ATV I also own that I copy my dvd's to so that I can remain on the couch & watch any movie I own. If that's a crime then outlaw the Harmony remote I own also..
  • andy2125, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4"The firm surveyed 3,613 people in the US "

    Maybe they surveyed 3600 guys age 18-28. I guarantee 1/3rd of the people I know don't know how to rip DVDs

    Or maybe they got a bunch of senior citizens and they thought "ripping" a DVD was some new term for playing a dvd. They didn't want to be embarrassed saying they didnt know how to watch a DVD?
    • aliguana, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2I guarantee 2/3 of the people I know DO know how to rip a DVD. Even the people who have difficulty with Word are doing it. Plenty of one-click ripper/encoders about, it's not rocket science
  • Shaman760, on 07/09/2008, -1/+5Handbrake FTW

    400gb & counting
    • EwMo, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1MacTheRipper > Handbrake
    • rockefeller2, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3I wonder how much of that you'll actually watch. I found myself downloading all sorts of *****, then one day realized that well over half the ***** I download, I never got around to watching.
  • todddavid48, on 07/09/2008, -1/+19I call BS. I doubt 5% of Americans have the skill to rip a DVD or can connect a dvd player to a vcr or dvd recorder.

    They might have the skill to put a camcorder in front of a TV that is playing a DVD.
  • withears, on 07/09/2008, -2/+10Breakin' the law, breakin' the law.
  • TomT223, on 07/09/2008, -5/+0Who needs DVD's when there is DivX?
    • Cyrock, on 07/09/2008, -1/+3who the ***** still uses divx? this is 2008, we have since upgraded to xvid.
    • impei, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5more like x264
  • bxblox, on 07/09/2008, -2/+4Whoever did this survey is way off. I would bet that there are far fewer than 1/3 of US residents that even have the remotest idea of how to rip a dvd. I wouldnt be surprised if less than 1/3 of US residents even own dvd players.
  • Cyrock, on 07/09/2008, -0/+0Do they consider downloading some piece of ***** cam or ts version of a movie off of Limewire to be "ripping dvds"?
    • Chassit, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I doubt it since downloading high quality DVD rips also fails to qualify...
  • andmarhar, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I'm sure this will be used by the MPAA to promote more anti piracy schemes but if I pay for my Netflix subscription and copy a DVD they can't consider that a lost sale. i have already paid them. Why does it matter when I watch the movie?
    • lynx44, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2That brings up an interesting point. Shouldn't the MPAA go after Netflix? They only bought one copy of the movie and thousands are watching it. In a way, its somewhat analogous to sharing on the internet. One person bought it, then that same copy is going to thousands of people who will watch it for "free," meaning they each didn't have to pay for a separate DVD. By their philosophy, they have lost ~$20 x the number of viewings by Netflix subscribers.

      Of course, Netflix has to order many more copies and less people can watch it at the same time, but there is a parallel that I wouldn't doubt the MPAA will target at some point. They also probably have an agreement with the MPAA, but why not cut out the middle man and serve us directly with downloadable rentals then?
    • Travelsonic, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Because it should be up to you, not them, when you watch, what hardware/computer/os used to watch it, etc.
  • econojon, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2Well, for the rest of America that is new to "ripping DVDs", my "friend", who is a total noob, would like to know what programs would be best for ripping DVDs? Any Suggestions...for my "friend"?
  • grantmoore3d, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3That's basically saying that my mom knows how to RIP a DVD.... uhhhh.... no, she has trouble just getting a picture off her digital camera, let alone making a copy of a copyright protected DVD
    • SuperJimmyJimbo, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3yeah...about those pictures...
  • mrgermy, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1Well I guess we could vote in the RIAA as a dystopian police force?

    Eh, yeah though I know what you're saying. Heard of Guadalupe Arizona? I drive through there on my way to work and well, Sheriff Joe is pretty popular for his 'tough on crime, i.e. illegal immigration" enforcement.

    Ironically illegal immigration bothers me at times because there are those who are abusing the welfare system (hell, its abused even by those not illegally living here) and that means they're taking money from us even though there are those of us who don't mind taking money from DVD profits. Oh well.
  • TheAfterpipe, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2I definitely copy my own movies to my own hard drive for my own personal use. I paid for that right when I bought the DVD.
    • aliguana, on 07/09/2008, -2/+2No, you didn't. But to hell with it, do it anyway
      • Cerebron, on 07/09/2008, -0/+0It's called Fair Use, that's what my parrot says: *Brawk* "Fair Use!"
    • skellener, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2Absolutely. If you paid for it, it's yours do what you want with it (just don't share it on the net). Whether it's technically the law or not, it's unenforceable. There are no DVD police that will come to your door. Besides, possession is nine tenths of the law.
      • Suneet67, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1It is only a question of enforcement... which is impossible
  • SOS84, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3The problem here is that while the unconstitutional DMCA forbids copying of materials with encryption it does not trump the Constitutional provisions regarding patent law and the derived and well insulated legal precedent of fair use. ***** the motion picture association. I know that fair use is a legal right enshrined in Constitutional law and that is something the DMCA cannot trump.
    • SPECOPS, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1You see, the DCMA outlaws circumventing encryption, however, if you download a movie (that is already unencrypted) you break no laws - unless you distribute it/sell it/etc.
  • superjenn, on 07/09/2008, -0/+8*dramatic action music* You wouldn't steal a car! You wouldn't steal a purse! You wouldn't steal a cell phone! You wouldn't steal a movie!
  • Abomonog, on 07/09/2008, -0/+10I object! I haven't ripped a CD or DVD in at least 4 years.


    It's easier to just download them. :)
    • 1033, on 07/09/2008, -1/+1harddrives are so much eaiser to maintain
      1000GB blueray = 40 discs x 19.95ea. = ~$800
      1000GB external drive = $150-$250 = 1000+ dvds (if properly encoded; 300 dvds for average joe) + No time spent burning.
  • firefox15, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2I don't know, I find this hard to believe. Many US residents are children and people over 50. I find it hard to believe that they are ripping DVDs too. I know it only says one third, but still . . .
    • jedinate, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2I was going to post essentially the same comment. I know a lot of geeks who rip DVDs, but your average consumer... I think not.
  • bman85, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2That number seems astonishingly high to me... I'm impressed.
  • cubeeggs, on 07/09/2008, -0/+4People actually hook a DVD recorder to a DVD player to get low-quality rips? There are much better ways...

    There are legitimate reasons to rip DVDs, such as ripping them to iTunes for an iPod. I thought that in the US it was a grey area, depending on which CSS-stripping library you use.
  • bman85, on 07/09/2008, -0/+2On another note, whats a good ripping software for mac?
    • 1033, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1just ripping? MacTheRipper might be a good bet.
      • bman85, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Cool thanks, although i dont really have any DVD's that i need to rip.
  • Eccles, on 07/09/2008, -0/+0Redbox rents DVDs for $1 a night, and apparently makes a profit doing so. If this rate existed for movies rented via the internet, I would probably never want to rip a DVD.
    • cam0man, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1They make a profit doing so because the overhead is non existent. You rent a 3'x4' space in a grocery store and pay the credit card fees., Considering that a postage stamp is nearly half a dollar and the envelope has to go both ways, I'm pretty sure you see that price for online rentals any time soon.

      and FYI, there's plenty of free rental coupons for redbox all over the web. Anyone who's paying for those is a real sucker.
  • wwwdot1jesdotus, on 07/09/2008, -0/+5Since when is it illegal to backup movies that I paid for?
  • macinit1138, on 07/09/2008, -0/+3The law is just a god damn piece of paper. That's what our elder statesmen say!
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