| By :
Paul Wise
Blank media allow people to record programming off the television or video they make themselves. It also allows people to backup pre-recorded programming to which they own the rights - namely, all those movies. Unfortunately, while in theory it is perfectly legal to backup content which you have bought, the law also makes the technical ability to do so a crime subject to financial penalty and actual imprisonment - both. Technologically speaking, each blank media DVD has its own unique characteristic. For instance, a dual layer DVD has the ability to store double the amount of data than regular blank DVDs and can be purchased in larger bundles whereas a blue ray blank DVD will have its power to heighten the quality of movies as well as display the full effects of blue ray movies(1080p as well). Other than that, the copyright laws restrict movies or shows to copied, catch-22? So what is one to do with all the blank media, then? Good question. Unfortunately, no one has the deep pockets of the movie studios and so the issue is never really settled in the courts (there appears to have been out-of-court settlements, to be sure, but these never touch on the policy in place). Generally speaking, the court has recognized that not having the means for something that is a right is to de facto deny the right. This is why, for instance, school desegregation came about: having the right to proper schooling is meaningless when no proper schools exist. So by the same token, if anyone had the money to go head-to-head with the movie studios all the way to the United States Supreme Court, it is conceivable that the judicial system will abolish the onerous laws currently in place which prevent consumers from legitimately backing up their property - property which the laws recognizes they have a right to make copies of but which the laws also prevent from actually happening by prohibiting the technology needed! A small sliver of hope does exist, however, short of a miraculous court battle. The studios themselves have now recognized that the consumer is in the proverbial driver's seat more than ever before. DVD has been a marketing success story that they fear may well never be repeated. High-speed broadband and on-demand programming may render their copyright protection schemes irrelevant, while assuring consumers anytime-anywhere access to content for which they have paid. Advances in technology will make irrelevant the whole controversy. It's just a matter of time. Right now, however, the United States is sorely lacking in connectivity. Americans pay more for less compared to citizens in many other advanced countries. Reliable broadband is still a luxury in many parts of the land, while on-demand programming is quite limited and nowhere near fulfilling its potential. But at least the movie studios understand that focusing on intellectual property is no longer just a simple matter of inconveniencing law-abiding consumers!
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