One-third of us copy DVDs
It's software like Nero that makes copying optical media content so easy.
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET Networks)Yeah, I know, it hit me as a surprise too. However, that's one of the findings found in a recent Consumer Home Piracy market research study carried out by Futuresource Consulting and sponsored by Macrovision.
The study was done in May 2008 in the U.S. and the U.K. with the sample size of more than 5,000 people. As it turns out, one-third of all the respondents in both countries admit to having made copies of prerecorded DVDs, on average about 13 titles each, in the last six months, up from just over a quarter of respondents in 2007. At this rate, before you know it, most of us will be copying DVDs.
The survey goes deeper and analyzes other information about the copiers, from their age, the kind of entertainment they would copy, to the method they use to get the job done and so on.
One of the motivations for the study is to find out the reason for the studios' decline in sale revenues of DVDs since the end of 2007. (Though the sale of Blu-ray media already largely offset it). It's interesting, though, the fact that the study didn't ask any questions about the consumers' renting habit (apparently they have to do this in order to make copies), but focus mostly to find out why the consumers would not buy more DVDs. What the studios want us to do is go see the movie in the theater, then rent the movie again to watch it at home, then go buy a Blu-ray copy of it, and while we are at it, buy a DVD copy of it, too. And they seems somewhate reasonable as most of the study's respondents indeed did admit that they would go buy the DVDs if they couldn't copy them.
In conclusion, the study showed that as studios' revenues from DVDs are in decline, protecting revenues is even more vital than 12 months ago. This basically means they don't feel like they are making enough money, and there's no definitive definition to what enough is.
So, who's to blame and what's the solution? I don't know and leave the answer to those who are directly concerned by the matter. If you are one of them, you can get the full report of the study by contacting Macrovison at cmurphy@macrovision.com.
In the meantime, the rest of us, guys, please either stop copying or be not so honest about it when it comes to filling market research questionnaires. Personally, I would rather see you do the former, but that's just because piracy is against the law, not because it has anything to do with me making enough money or not (which I don't, by the way).
Dong Ngo is a CNET editor who covers networking and network storage, and writes about anything else he finds interesting. You can also listen to his podcast at insidecnetlabs.cnet.com. E-mail Dong.
The *real* issue here is that these companies aren't making as much money as they would like. Awww, you have my sympathy.
Since DVD copy protection has long been broken, it's silly to cry over spilt milk. Either put your movies out in DVD format, or don't. If you need to generate revenue, look for new opportunities. But stop worrying about the past. DVDs are a done deal.
Now when I copy my legally-purchased DVDs with DVDFabPlatinum's "movie only" feature, the movie starts right away without all the bull.
If you burned a copy of a copy-protected DVD, it is not a "legitimate" copy.
One can debate whether or not the law should be written the way it is, but until it is changed, that's simply the way it is.
Macrovision is a company with an obvious vested interest in copy protection technologies for DVD, so as this survey was sponsored (i.e. paid for) by Macrovision you'd be foolish to ignore the potential for bias.
I like Blu-Ray very much, but the biggest problem I have with it is that I can' t play the discs at most places I go without lugging around my PS3 (a very big nuisance). So I have no problem with renting the DVD version of a Blu-ray movie (that I OWN) and copying it so that I can actually watch the movie wherever I want. Some movie studios are considering ways that owners of a blu-ray movie can obtain a free digital copy of the movie to play on their computer or iPod. That would be fantastic and I hope they actually follow through on it.
Don't let anyone convince you that DVD decryption programs are illegal. While it's true that those programs can be used for illegitimate purposes, that doesn't mean that there aren't any legitimate uses for them. You can use a web browser to do illegal things. Does that mean web browsers should be banned entirely? Of course not!
The movie studios hate the fact that users have rights when they purchase a video and have tried everything to stop them from being able to exercise those rights. You can't say that users have a certain right but make all ways of exercising that right are illegal. That's like saying that you have a right to Freedom of the Press, but then making printing presses illegal.
it is perfectly legal to make a copy of a movie for yourself (that should also include being able to play the movie on whatever device you choose, such as an iPod IMHO). Unless you distribute those copies, you are NOT breaking the law.
-
by conniegarner
July 12, 2008 2:52 PM PDT
- I am sure that one-third of the tech community copies dvd's. The average citizen would to a lesser extent. Out of say fifty people that I know maybe only 2 or 3 copy dvd's. The numbers for the geek community would be much higher but they are a small percentage of the population. Macrovision is full of it.
-
Reply to this comment
-
Showing 1 of 2 pages (30 Comments)