Sony Cutting Back on UMD Sales

Karsten writes "An article in Variety claims that Sony is cutting back on UMD releases. While comedies are doing well, other genres simply aren't getting much traction." From the article: "Some have reasoned that sales may have slowed recently because of a shortage of new titles in the last month and because users may be illegally copying films from DVDs onto a memory chip the PSPs can read. Sony is hoping to combat online piracy starting in March when it begins selling movies online via its Connect digital media store. Users will be able to download a pic and watch it on PSP without a disc."

Comments

Illegally?

[Hammerikaner]

Ahemm, wouldn't copying your DVD to work on another device be a clear example of fair use? You can tell it's fair use because what the company would like you to do--buy a whole new copy of something you already own--would be completely unfair.

Re:Illegally?

[lordcat]

Haven't you been reading /.? Copying a CD or DVD to work on another device is clearly not an example of fair use... well.. maybe it was a few weeks ago... but now-a-days fair use doesn't include copying or ripping or backing up (or even playing for that matter) any media you buy...

Re:Illegally?

[DaHat]

Lets not forget that copying a DVD is a little less clear cut in the US because of the DMCA which makes bypassing a copy control mechanism illegal... just what has to occur to bypass the CSS on a DVD to make the copying succeed.

In short, space shifting is legal, bypassing a copy protection mechanism for such a purpose isn't. Granted its amazingly easy today compared to just 5 years ago... but that doesn't make it any less illegal or wrong in the eyes of the content makers.

Re:Illegally?

[badasscat]

Lets not forget that copying a DVD is a little less clear cut in the US because of the DMCA which makes bypassing a copy control mechanism illegal...

Read the law. You can find it here. There is no blanket prohibition on bypassing copy control mechanisms - this is a big, big misconception about the DMCA. In fact, there are both specific and non-specific instances (i.e. basically the same provisions as in earlier fair use definitions) in which bypassing technological copy control mechanisms is explicitly allowed.

Whether or not format-shifting would count is not clearly laid out in the law, anymore than it is in earlier copyright laws. According to the DMCA, the Librarian of Congress is supposed to review cases like this every 3 years to determine whether they would be legal under the DMCA's provisions or not.

The entire purpose of this part of the DMCA was not to stamp out fair use, it was to specifically prohibit circumventing technological measures that were implemented in order to prevent copyright violations. But the bottom line is (or is supposed to be) that if you're not violating copyright law, you are allowed to circumvent these technological measures. The DMCA was not supposed to take away your fair use rights.

How the law has been used and referenced since it was enacted may be another story. But that is the way the law was written, and I'm confident that if it was actually tested in court (and format-shifting has not been, to my knowledge), that both the letter and intent of the law would be followed by the court.

Re:Illegally?

[Lumpy]

The last 4 dvd's I ripepd and converted to Divx for my home on demand system had no CSS encryption on them.

Finding DVD's that pay the money for CSS and Macrovision "protection" is getting less and less. The makers know it's useless to put that "protection" on there as it is trivial to go around it.

I get it

[FidelCatsro]

"comedies are doing well"
So does this officially mean UMD movies are a Joke

Too expensive

[Winterblink]

Of course it couldn't have anything to do with people not wanting to buy the same movie twice at nearly the same price, once for home theater use and once for portable use?

The latest news about them bundling UMDs with DVDs is a step in the right direction, at least.

Pretty much

[PIPBoy3000]

I think this is exactly what's covered under fair use:

Personal use also permits music fans to make "mix tapes" or compilations of their favorite songs from their own personal music collection or the radio for their own personal enjoyment in a more convenient format, or "format shifting." Another example of acceptable personal use copying of a copyrighted work is "time-shifting," or the recording of a copyrighted program to enjoy at a later and more convenient time.

Personally, I think they're slowing down sales because the PSP isn't selling all that well and people like to watch movies on big screens as a general rule of thumb. The iPod videos generally works because the costs are in the range of $1 or $2, the install base is huge, and sometimes they let people download the tv show the day before it's on television.

Movies, Time Shifting, and the PSP

[larsoncc]

One thing that many folks are confused about is the legality of copying DVDs that you own.

To the best of my knowledge (not being a lawyer and all that), it's not legal right now - when you break the copy protection found on the greater majority of DVDs on the market, technically, you're breaking the law in the United States. The specific law being broken is the DMCA.

There are a couple of points to make:
1. They can screw right off with that law, I'm putting my movies where ever I damn well please.

2. There is a neat little exemption in the DMCA about devices that are obsolete. I hope these new High Def player break compatibility with the old formats (yeah, high hopes), because as soon as the tech is obsolete, we get to crack the encryption "legally". Frankly, DVDs are, and will be, "good enough" for me for quite some time.

The other thing to consider here is that UMDs and downloadable movies are essentially new ways to re-purchase content. This process isn't always bad, but in this -case- is very bad. Unlike the move to DVDs, Sony wants us to pay MORE for LESS quality... and pay multiple times.

Sony is trying pretty hard to un-do some damage that they've unintentionally done with the PSP. By providing users a capable media player that works with writable media, they've broken their business model. They've made customers happy, but happy doesn't buy corporate jets.

Re:Illegal

[Sylver Dragon]

You are allowed to copy music only because of the AHRA. There is no similar law allowing the copying of movies.

Wrong, but thank you for playing. Fair use is embodied in USC Title 17 sect. 107[1]. Title 17 is where copyrights are defined. Title 17 refeers to all copyrightable works, therefore, it follows that sect. 107 applies to all copyrighted works.
The sticky point is that Title 17 sect. 107 never actually mentions personal backups specifically. However, the fourth part of the test provided in the law:
(4)the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
Would generally seem to allow a personal backup, as this will not have an effect on the "potential market" for a work. Also, since a personal backup is a noncommercial use, the onus will be on the plantiff to show that this personal use does, in fact, damage their potential market.
As always: I am not a lawyer, but I play one on Slashdot.