Watching DVD's on Linux is ILLEGAL in the USA?

[Richard Daggett]

VLC uses libdvdcss and libdvdcss does not use DeCSS (legal version of dvd
encryption).  I am not saying its right or wrong, just pulling information
out of the article.

libdvdcss

Modern Linux machines don’t use DeCSS. However, through examining the DeCSS
code, people realized that CSS was vulnerable to a brute-force attack.  CSS
uses 40-bit encryption and doesn’t use every possible key, so it’s an
extremely weak type of encryption. A modern computer can crack a DVD’s CSS
encryption through brute force – that is, by trying every possible key and
seeing which one works – in just a few seconds.

This is what libdvdcss does. With libdvdcss installed on Linux, after you
insert a DVD into your computer’s DVD drive, your computer will brute-force
its encryption in a few seconds. It may look like the DVD is just opening
in VLC, but your computer is cracking the encryption key in the background
to make it viewable.

If you don’t have libdvdcss or DeCSS installed, DVDs won’t play back at all.


On Sat, Mar 2, 2013 at 1:26 PM, Eric Oyen <eric.oyen at gmail.com> wrote:

> I find this rather interesting as I haven't had to install any cracking
> software to view DVD's on linux. VLC can play any commercially available
> DVD without having to install DVDCSS or any ripping software. It also
> happens to be one of the few apps in linux that has labeled controls that
> work with ORCA (the screen reader for the blind).
>
> IMHO, anyone that states (as a matter of law) that viewing movies in linux
> is illegal should refer to the fair use portions of US Copyright law. I
> maintain that I have the right to view my purchased DVD's with whatever
> technology that allows me to do so. Simply labeling us as criminals because
> we use a non-supported OS to play our media just isn't justifiable. It also
> violates constitutional law (we are innocent until proven guilty in a court
> of law).
>
> Big content needs to get with the program. We are out here and we are not
> going away. Instead of trying to criminalize s, they should be marketing to
> us. it will make them more money and allow us to enjoy what we want.
>
> -eric
>
> On Mar 2, 2013, at 9:46 AM, Richard Daggett wrote:
>
> I would say its illegal to watch dvd's on a illegal copy of the player
> (using libdvdcss).  You can purchase legal dvd players for linux
>
> Actually, Linux Has a Few Licensed DVD Players
>
> It was once true that Linux users had to become criminals to watch
> commercial video DVDs (at least in the USA). However, there are now
> licensed DVD players available for Linux.
>
> For example, Ubuntu’s Software Center offers the licensed Fluendo DVD
> Player <https://apps.ubuntu.com/cat/applications/fluendo-dvd/>. This DVD
> player will cost you $25, although you have probably already paid for
> licensed DVD-playback software that comes with your computer’s DVD drive in
> the first place. If you purchased the licensed Cyberlink DVD player, which
> was previously the only legal option for watching DVDs on Linux in the USA,
> you probably need to buy the Fluendo DVD Player to play DVDs on modern
> versions of Ubuntu.
>
>
> On Sat, Mar 2, 2013 at 9:38 AM, Stephen <cryptworks at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Yep sure is... a very weakly enforced illegal until you start
>> distributing media that you "cracked"
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Mar 2, 2013 at 8:16 AM, Lyle Tuttle <l.tuttle at cox.net> wrote:
>>
>>>  http://tinyurl.com/asaz2j4
>>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from
>> rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.
>>
>> Stephen
>>
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