The MPAA has gotten an accelerated hearing with the FCC to allow production companies to flag hi-def movies on cable from being recorded by DVRs. Their stated concern being that someone will then figure out how to download the movie from the hard drive and pirate it out to people. Never mind that most pirated copies of movies come from within production companies or their employees themselves; it’s a way for the MPAA to turn the technological screws.
MPAA wants to stop DVRs from recording some movies
“The Petitioners’ theatrical movies are too valuable in this early distribution window to risk their exposure to unauthorized copying,” MPAA wrote to the FCC last month. “Distribution over insecure outputs would facilitate the illegal copying and redistribution of this high value content, causing untold damage to the DVD and other ‘downstream’ markets.” Less than a month after the request, the FCC has given MPAA a public comment period on the question that will last through July 7.
[…] Movies go through a timeline of staged releases that lasts about three years. First they go to theaters; 60 days after that they start showing up in airplanes and hotels; in 120 days from their theatrical release they transfer to DVD and Internet download; about a month later to video on demand/pay-per-view; by the end of the year to premium subscription systems like HBO and Showtime; and eventually to basic cable and free TV.
MPAA says these studios want to release their movies to multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) “significantly earlier and prior to DVD release”—although the trade groups’ filing won’t say exactly how much sooner. But in exchange for the accelerated service, MPAA wants permission to obtain SOC blocking of recording capabilities.
Now, of course, the MPAA says this just for that short period before the movies are out on DVD. They say. And, of course, they swear that this isn’t meant to impact or inconvenience consumers — indeed, if they get their nose under the tent with the Selectable Output Control (SOC) technology, it’s got all sorts of ideas to help consumers. Really
MPPA notes that the Commission did say in 2003 that it would consider adjusting this policy around SOC. “We nonetheless recognize that selectable output control functionality might have future applications that could potentially be advantageous to consumers,” MPAA observes that the FCC declared in a late 2003 Report and Order, “such as facilitating new business models.”
Hmmm. Sounds like something to help businesses, not consumers.
MPAA argues that, in addition to getting first-run movies to the public sooner, giving movie studios a break on this issue could also aid the DTV transition. The enhanced service “will encourage the purchase of HDTV sets by consumers, and thereby ensure that a greater number of citizens have the necessary equipment to receive broadcast digital programming by February 17, 2009.”
The assertion seems to be that by putting out hi-def movies earlier (because they aren’t afraid of Evil Pirates), the studios will be helping the public by encouraging the spread of digital hi-def TV. Of course, the EFF (and even the FCC in the cited report) suggest that having restrictions like SOC might actually hinder HDTV adoption (why would I want to invest in HDTV gear if part of it was being disabled by the studios, even for some limited window?).
Further reading:
The MPAA’s Petition for Expedited Special Relief to the FCC File a comment with the FCC on this issue here. The docket number for field #1 (“proceeding”) is 08-82.
(via Les)
I’d like to see them stop me from recording with MythTV.
Virtually everything I watch is time-shifted via my DVR. If they prevent me from recording it, I’ll just wait for the DVD.
You Communist, you!