Bill to make skipping ads on DVD's illegal?!? (1 Viewer)

[RickyB]

A new bill before Congress could make fast-forwarding through ads and previews on a DVD you watch at home illegal.

The bill allows for technology that lets families edit out explicit scenes or material. But broadcast companies have lobbied hard to keep commercials and movie trailers off-limits.

"Their concern is, if it becomes easy for people to skip ads, then their whole business model goes down the drain," said Gigi Sohn, of Public Knowledge, a Washington, D.C. advocacy group

Media executives said their goal is not to throw people in jail for skipping ads, but they are trying to protect the motion picture business.




WTF?

 

[JustinCleveland]

Source, please.

 

[Matt Butler]

What Justin said.

 

[Thomas Newton]

SlashDot: Senate May Rush Copyright Legislation


It sounds like a grab-bag of bad ideas -- turning civil infringement into criminal infringement, prohibiting the use of technology to skip ads, etc.

 

[Thomas Newton]

By the way, although the bill's prefix is "HR" (usually refers to a House of Representatives bill), the articles talk of it as though it is a piece of Senate legislation.

 

[Thomas Newton]

Wired: Senate May Ram Copyright Bill

 

[Glenn Overholt]

Thomas, that is really messed up. You can't confuse a house bill from a senate one.

I heard that a bill was going trough that would prohibit fast forwarding/skipping commercials on TV, and now I just think that they got their bills crossed. But both are bad.

Aflak anyone?

Glenn

 

[Robert Ringwald]

It just bothers me. When I spend 20-40 dollars for a movie/TV show on DVD... I don't want to buy a bunch of ads too...

 

[Jeff Swearingen]

Is there any news about this topic from a reputable news source?

 

[AnthonyC]

I read it on Yahoo yesterday.

The only way it would bug me is if the disc authors prevented from skipping or fast-forwarding. Otherwise, I'd break this stupid law.

 

[WillG]

I can vouch for the veracity of this as well. I read it somewhere the other day, but I can't remember exactly where I read it.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

This bill is pushing dangerously close to the edge of actual evil. Talk about politicians kowtowing to the corporate breast!

Unfortunately, this sort of thing seems to be popular with the senior members of both parties -- the RIAA and MPAA are certainly spreading the wealth!

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

On one hand, I can't believe this might happen. On the other...it doesn't surprise me at all.

What a joke.

What a bad idea.

Don't these companies know that ads on DVDs already piss us off (forced trailers) and to me, this could almost be an invitation to more ads....what if say they start to put in ads for other products of theirs during what would've originally been commercial breaks on TV shows.

 

[Jeff_HR]

What about my rights to not watch the ads or to skip by them? I thought I lived in the "Land of the Free"!

 

[DeathStar1]

What next?

Re-inserting the commercial breaks on DVD's? Even the GEneral public won't stand for something like that...

 

[AaronMan]

This is terrible. I'm just waiting for the day when we go to a movie theater or buy a dvd and we see a little production company logo in the corner of the screen.

Studios and advertisers just can't stand the fact that we are watching a program free of commercials.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

The best thing would be for them to issue 2-disk sets, and have all the adds on the 2nd disk. That would be cool!

Glenn

 

[WarrenM]

Unfortunately, they are already doing that in China... you should see the "Hero" (extended) and "2046" DVD's...

I hope it never happens here!

 

[ZacharyTait]

I think everyone is reading this wrong. What I got from it was that it would be illegal to use any kind of software or devices to skip previews on a DVD, other than the usual methods of doing it. I don't think they mean that skipping over an ad is illegal, just using an illegal means of doing it is. What an illegal method or program to do it is or how anyone is going to get caught doing this is beyond me.

I know the language is vague, but I don't think they mean that skipping ads is going to bring the Feds pounding down your door in the middle of the night.

If I'm wrong, I'll be more than happy to correct this post.

 

[Harminder]

If this happens to R1 DVD releases only, my business will permanently go overseas (R2 & R3).

Bottom line, forcing me to watch ads and trailers when I paid for the product isn't smart advertising, but border line propoganda - buy our products, you will be happy. BITE ME!

However, I think if this bill gets passed, there will be serious consumer backlash anyways, where DVD companies would have to listen to their customers if they want to keep their sales up.