Are DVDs Software Or Films?

NewsWatcher writes: "In Australia a court case with international ramifications will decide if DVDs are software or films. If they are designated as software, rental prices will go through the roof, if they are films their distribution cannot be limited under copyright laws. This article explains the ins and outs ." Unrelated incident -- FatRatBastard writes: "C|Net News is reporting that the new Warner Bros Powerpuff Girls DVD is infected with the FunLove virus. Note this only effects those who install the supplemental Windows software that comes on the DVD. The article claims that "The virus only affects PCs that load the disc, not DVD players" so I'm not sure if the DVD auto installs software if loaded on a Win PC, or if infection only happens if the user chooses to install the supplemental software."

Comments

It's Data

[ackthpt]

he media that something resides on does not change the identity of what it is. Therefore a DVD-based movie is still a movie.

First off I consider analog or digital recordings, regardless of physical media, to be data. If, to manipulate that data, there resides on same media a mechanism, that should be considered software. Encrypted, compressed, whatever, it's data on your CD/DVD disk and to convert it to music requires logic circuitry and a D/A converter.