Subscription to DVDFab Blu-ray Copy

[videojunky]

I currently have a lifetime subscription to DVDFab Blu-ray Copy, which I purchased a few years ago. I live in the U.S., but I have the international version of 9.1.7.1, which still does decryption. The U.S. version is pretty much crippled at this point, but the site I got the international version from no longer carries it.

Now DVDFab is up to version 9.1.7.8, but if I try to update from their regular site, I get the crippled U.S. version. I paid for a lifetime subscription, and of course decryption was one of my main reasons for buying the software. It seems like I am being punished for living in the U.S.! Can someone tell me where I can pick up regular updates of the international version of DVDFab?

Thank you in advance!

[ronmaz]

When you say "from their regular site" do you mean http://www.dvdfab.cn/
That is the official site. If you log in to the member page you can see what kind of subscription you have.

[newpball]

I do not use this software and I do not know how much you payed for your lifetime subscription but you may have a right to a partial refund. It seems for years they claimed to keep the decryption current if you take a lifetime subscription, if they do not do that their contract is (partly) invalid.

See the lifetime subscription and renewal sections:

http://www.dvdfab.cn/faq/?type=upgrade_and_renewal#faq_3

Problem is their corporate address is:

北京市海淀区北四环西路9号2108室, 北京

[videojunky]

I do not use this software and I do not know how much you payed for your lifetime subscription but you may have a right to a partial refund. It seems for years have claimed to update their software to keep the encryption current if you take a lifetime subscription, if they do not do that their contract is (partly) invalid.

See the lifetime subscription and renewal sections:

http://www.dvdfab.cn/faq/?type=upgrade_and_renewal#faq_3

Problem is their corporate address is:

北京市海淀区北四环西路9号2108室, 北京, BEIJING China

It's not that decryption has quit working. It has been disabled in the U.S. version because the company got sued by a team of high-priced attorneys hired by the Blu-ray consortium, or some such group. It is only U.S. users of DVDFab that are crippled, not the rest of the world. Apparently, the rest of the world doesn't have as clever of lawyers as we do in the U.S.!

Anyway, I was able to obtain a link to the non-U.S. uncrippled version, which works fine with my subscription, and it decrypts perfectly. But the last non-U.S. version I was able to obtain was 9.1.7.1. I was hoping someone on this forum would know where I can obtain the most recent non-U.S. version.

For example, if I go to www.DVDFab.cn and download the latest version, it will be a file called DVDFab9179US.exe. People in other countries with the exact same subscription I have will be able to download a file called DVDFab9179.exe, which is uncrippled. I want to find the version to download that does not have "US" in the name of the file, which decrypts just fine.

I am not about breaking U.S. law. I believe that I have a right to make a backup copy of the Blu-ray discs I purchased, and the DMCA law has a provision called "Fair Use", which I am invoking... that is, if I can obtain the international version.

If not, is there a free decrypting tool that works as well as DVDFab?

[newpball]

Not only DVDFab is pressured:

http://www.myce.com/news/tdmore-removes-option-to-decrypt-aacs-protected-blu-rays-73474/

Also there is this product, perhaps it is useful perhaps it is not:

http://www.woookao.cn/

Disclaimer: Don't know anything about this product, don't endorse it yada yada.....

[videojunky]

Not only DVDFab is pressured:

http://www.myce.com/news/tdmore-removes-option-to-decrypt-aacs-protected-blu-rays-73474/

Also there is this product, perhaps it is useful perhaps it is not:

http://www.woookao.cn/

Disclaimer: Don't know anything about this product, don't endorse it yada yada.....

Thanks for the info!

Is there anybody out there who has used Woookao and can testify to its usefulness?

[Kerry56]

How about trying a free vpn to download the file from the DVDFab.cn site?

Woookao is just a renamed version of DVDFab Passkey Lite. It might not work on newer Blu-ray encryption. I don't use it because I have AnyDVD HD.

[DJ_ValBec]

...It seems like I am being punished for living in the U.S.! Can someone tell me HOW I can pick up regular updates of the international version of DVDFab?

Thank you in advance!

Just use Tor-Browser and the regular DVDFab site.
https://www.torproject.org/

Good Luck.

P.S.
Only the Domain is .cn [China] They are in the same place.
Just like Tor and us.

[jman98]

videojunky - I wish you'd come here first before you plunked down your money. Me and a few others don't recommend buying DVDFab any more because of the uncertainty. As far as getting a refund goes, you can always ask and try, but I wouldn't hold my breath. As the company is in China, if they want to keep your money, what exactly can you do? If you're crazy enough to go to China and sue them, I can promise you that they can pay off the judge to rule in their favor just to teach you an expensive lesson. AnyDVD is the only commercial ripper I recommend paying for.

Since you are not a lawyer and my best friend is and I've discussed a lot of legal issues with him over the years, I can tell you that your belief that the DMCA doesn't apply to you is "interesting". Hollywood has chosen not to go after individual users, but legally speaking, the law does seem to indeed apply to YOU. The "Fair Use" clause allows the Library of Congress and libraries to do things that don't apply to individuals. Every year or two the LOC issues an edict stating what is and is not permissible. One of their most infamous rulings was that it was indeed illegal to unlock your cell phone without your carrier's permission. I'm sure that Hollywood has no interest in suing you for making your own backups, but it SEEMS to be illegal for you to do so with encrypted BluRays and DVDs and a court would have to actually rule on it for us to know whether or not you can or can't do it. Hollywood doesn't want to risk another Betamax decision, so making your own backups will remain in legal limbo, technically appearing to be illegal in the USA but without any interest in prosecuting violators who do it for their own use (not sharing the files with others).

Again technically speaking, DVDFab chose not to go to court in the US case against them and got a default judgement handed against them. I'm not saying they'd have won if they went to court, but the fact is that they chose not to fight here. The high priced lawyers suing them did nothing more than show up on the right court date to win. Shortly after the judgement was issued, DVDFab electronically fled the USA and "moved" their operations to China and instituted their current policy. You're not going to like this, but legally speaking, they probably have a stronger case in denying you your updates and keeping your money than you do in arguing "forever means FOREVER" when giving you your updates, as a US citizen, probably is a direct violation of the ruling against them.

[videojunky]

...It seems like I am being punished for living in the U.S.! Can someone tell me HOW I can pick up regular updates of the international version of DVDFab?

Thank you in advance!

Just use Tor-Browser and the regular DVDFab site.
https://www.torproject.org/

Good Luck.

Is there anything I need to look out for while using Tor Browser?

[DJ_ValBec]

Yup!
Check your IP & make sure that, it's not from "U.S."
- http://checkmyip.net/
- etc.

[videojunky]

Yup!
Check your IP & make sure you are not in "U.S."
- http://checkmyip.net/
- etc.

Great, thanks! I'll give it a try.

[videojunky]

You're not going to like this, but legally speaking, they probably have a stronger case in denying you your updates and keeping your money than you do in arguing "forever means FOREVER" when giving you your updates, as a US citizen, probably is a direct violation of the ruling against them.

After thinking about it, I decided that I should quit my righteous indignation about my "lifetime" subscription to DVDFab and their ripping me off. I feel I don't want to risk using Tor and enter the "dark net", where there is a lot of criminal activity going on. It's not worth it.

I'll follow your advice and buy AnyDVD HD, instead of whining about DVDFab. Thanks!

[DJ_ValBec]

I learn how to keep using DVDFab9 after the free trial expired and use it just for ripping. lol

You will be ok with AnyDVD.

Good luck.