AnyDVD in the U.S.

[JKeats]

Is it legal for a U.S. citizen to purchase/own a copy of AnyDVD ? I came across some info in my net travels that might suggest otherwise, but I couldn't find a difinitive answer.

I was just currious.

[waheed]

I would say its legal.

[pochrist]

I have AnyDVD and See no reason why it should be considered illegal. I believe this subject falls into the same catagory that CD Progams/Games fall. You Purchase the Program, the End User License Aggreement states you are allowed make (1) backup copy, but then they put CD protection on it. If they were really interested honoring their EULA then they would Provide either a way to make (1) backup or offer a price differnce for those people who have no need / desire to make a backup. But that would make sense... and we all know Companies are in business to make $$ not sense. IMHO

[Sabro]

Since AnyDVD does not allow you to backup anything (without extra pgms) I see no reason why it would be considered illegal.

Of course some could argue that it does remove copy protection, alot would contest it helps with compatibility issues (allowing different regions to be viewed etc) with their systems.

Sabro

[Cinemagic]

There is a reason programs such as DVD Decrypter and AnyDVD are not included in programs such as Nero Recode. Removal of copy protection schemes has been determined by the courts in the US to violate copyright laws. When bundled with programs that can extract the data and write CD/DVDs, this is a clear copyright infringement. The other side of the coin is that you do have a right to make a copy of your own purchased CD/DVDs for your own personal use. This loophole is why programs such as DVD Decrypter and AnyDVD are readily available. However, the origins and usual download locations are outside the US where copyright laws are different. Possession of AnyDVD or DVD Decrypter is not illegal. Possession of Nero, DVDXCopy and other DVD copying is not illegal. Putting the two together is getting closer, but still not illegal depending upon your intent. Intent is the key word. If you intend to buy a DVD and make a copy for your own personal use, then you're okay. If you intend to rent or borrow a DVD and make a copy for yourself or another, then you have violated the law by not only making the copy but also for being in possession of equipment/software designed to decrypt encrypted media. This is like the people who used to hack satellite TV. The programmers themselves were not illegal since they could also be used to program smart card door locks. But combine it with specific software and you are in violation for possession. Since there is a question of intent, Nero and others do not include the DVD Decrypter-like software as part of their software. For one, it becomes too expensive to fight the likes of RIPAA in court. Hope this helps. For more info, you can Google "DVD Hacking" or something like that and narrow it down to court cases.