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Movie Studios Push DRM Issues with Apple

Wednesday, November 29th, 2006 at 10:40 AM - by

Several movie studios are negotiating with Apple Computer to add their films to the iTunes Store, but are pressuring for tighter digital rights management controls. FT.com reports that Universal, 20th Century Fox, Paramount and Warner Bros. are all in talks with Apple.

The studios have been negotiating with Apple for several months, and the hurdle they are trying to get over now is to get more restrictive licensing added to downloaded movies. Specifically, they want Apple to further limit the number of computers a downloaded movie can be played on.

One studio executive commented "We're very willing to do a deal but we're keen to get some concessions from Apple that will account for the differences between the value of music and television content and feature film content."

Currently, Apple allows iTunes Store customers to authorize up to five different computers to play purchased music, videos, TV shows and movies.

Apple has not commented on the status of the negotiations, or the likelihood that it will change its FairPlay copy protection to please the movie makers.

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Nov 29, 2006 1:13 pm

Consessions for what? They have already limited everything to the point where you can just barely watch the program. Why don't they just stamp property of the movie industry on every fricken frame of the movie. Better yet sell you a blank copy of the movie that just has property of the movie industry, do not copy or we will take your house, your kids, your life. I don't think Steve Jobs will go for anymore DRM restrictions as they are restricted to the point of being useless to buy as it is.

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Nov 29, 2006 1:31 pm

woah, easy there! Us movie execs have to feed our families too, you know... without us, you wouldn't have the great films that you have today... classics like "Scary Movie 3", or "The Hot Chick", or "The Pacifier"... so you should have to pay to watch these movies. Many times over. Yes, many times, I say!

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Biff said:

member since 08 Apr 2004 with 1479 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:15 pm

Um but if those movies are so crappy, then why would you be paying to see them over and over again? That doesn't make sense.

I'll stick with physical media, thank you very much.

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JonGl said:

member since 12 Jan 2006 with 113 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Wed Nov 29, 2006 5:05 pm

I consider the restrictions too strict already. In fact, I haven't bothered to download one film yet--TV hardly either, for that matter, and the ones I downloaded are such a pain to find to watch--considering I can't burn to a DVD, that in the end, it wasn't worth it--even if it was the Steelers vs Falcons! Sorry, but with their attitude, online movies will never take off--which, now that I think of it, is probably what they want....

But I think it's something else--they want to prove they are bigger men than Steve Jobs.... It's simply a weight-throwing contest. It's silly, immature, and downright unbecoming for grown people to act this way. But it won't bother me much.... since I won't be buying in any case.

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A guest said: (hide)

Wed Nov 29, 2006 6:21 pm

If you read the FT article, you'll notice that it's not the number of computers, but the number of iPods the studios also want the restrictions on. The FairPlay technology limits computers to 5, but that doesn't really stop one from dropping a purchased song or TV show onto another iPod. Granted, they wont be able to successfully dump the movie onto another machine without authorization, but would that stop one from plugging an iPod into a DVD recorder? I'm assuming there are barriers to this method in place... anyone?

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A guest said: (hide)

Thu Nov 30, 2006 10:56 am

The article didn't actually say computers OR iPods, it said "devices," which I presume means both. Online purchase of movies is, to me, a complete non-starter. You pay essentially full DVD price for a reduced-quality copy with no physical media, usually no "extras", and severely limited portability. Why? To save you the five minute trip (for many people) to the video store? And get to use YOUR disk storage and download bandwidth in the bargain?

If and when I can download at full quality, burn to a disk, and play anywhere - for under $6.00 - then we'll talk. That's what I pay for used DVD's at a local flea market. And it takes me less time to go there and shop than downloading several GB of movie.

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