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February 2004, Week 2

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From:
LLTI-Editor <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 9 Feb 2004 15:51:55 EST
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--- Forwarded Message from Judy Shoaf <[log in to unmask]> ---

>Date: Fri, 06 Feb 2004 15:10:38 -0500
>From: Judy Shoaf <[log in to unmask]>
>User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; WinNT4.0; en-US; rv:1.3) Gecko/20030312
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum    <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #7405 Legality of multistandard VCRs/DVD players
>References: <[log in to unmask]>
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>

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----------------- Message requiring your approval (25 lines) ------------------
I found this on a website (no date in evidence):

"Some discs contain program code that checks for the proper region. 
These "smart discs" won't play on code-free players that have their 
region set to 0, but they can be played on code-switchable players that 
allow you to change the region using the remote control."
http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/answerstips/story/0,24330,2410817,00.html

A few  years ago it was suggested on this list (to me) that the 
code-switchable players are NOT violating the law or circumventing 
codes, because they really do become the needed player. That is, the 
code that checks for the region is the "technological measure that 
effectively controls access to a protected work," and the player is not 
  overriding that code, it is satisfying it.

On the other hand, removing a copy protection device like Macrovision or 
  hacking your computer so it will change regions beyond the normal 
number of switches would be illegal. Hacking a DVD player to make it 
play other regions is illegal.

AND genuinely multi-region DVD players seem to be even harder to find. 
Maybe the media conglomerates buy out the companies, I dunno.

Judy Shoaf

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