Underscoring just how out of touch the Motion Picture Association of America is with its consumer base, the MPAA has spoken out regarding a buyer’s (lack of) rights in making a single backup copy of a DVD. The comment came in response to a question raised bu U.S. District Judge Marilyn Patel, who during the RealDVD case, asked the MPAA if whether or not it believes it’s legal for consumers to make backup copies of legally purchased DVDs for personal use.
“Not for the purposes under the DMCA,” said Bart Williams, an attorney for the MPAA. “One copy is a violation of the DMCA.”
And technically, he’s right, at least in terms of circumventing copyright mechanisms to make said copy. But what’s startling about the comment is that the MPAA has traditionally hid behind the threat of mass software piracy and the resulting lost sales in supporting the DMCA, but apparently you’re no better than pirates for profit if you make a single backup copy of a DVD you already paid for.
“We believe the buyer has that right to play a DVD as many times as they want,” Don Scott, one of RealDVD’s attorneys, told Patel. “We think he also has the right to make a copy, this fair use copy.”
So do we, Scott.
