Putting a block on copying a DVD

[terry dennis]

How can you put a block on copying a video during or after rendering the project ?

[BrianCee]

You can't - not with any 'personal/domestic' type of DVD software - you need to have very expensive commercial equipment I'm afraid.

[Ron P.]

Just to emphasize Brian's response...

There once was a program available for free on the internet. While the intent of the program was not to violate copyright, it was able to do this for DVD videos that had the expensive copy protection applied. So you can see that it must not very difficult to circumvent some of these copy protections, when a freebie application managed to bypass it. Copy protections costs in the tens of thousands of dollars per year to use. They're like a license, which must be renewed annually. Then they also charge an enormous initial fee. So it would not be unrealistic to initially pay around $50k + for this copy protection.

[Black Lab]

And...I don't know of any video that I couldn't copy right now, despite the "copy protection" that it has on it.

[terry dennis]

OK , Guys !

Thank you all for that information. I don't think I will bother thinking about it from now on !

Makes me wonder though if there is any merit in putting a copyright notice on a DVD intended for commercial use.

[BrianCee]

The basic fact is that you do not need to put a copyright symbol anywhere to preserve your copyright of the material - If the source material is clearly identifiable as yours then the copyright is yours and if you find anyone has copied it without your permission then you can take action - the big problem there of course is finding out if somebody across the other side of the world has copied your DVD in the first place.

Having said that I do put a copyright symbol (don't forget to date it) on much of my output - certainly DVDs I make of my local school which are distributed in the school - because a) the fact that it is there deters a lot of people and b) if you find someone has copied it then they cannot use the excuse "I didn't know it was copyright".

Something else to note while we're on this subject - I notice Terry that you like me are in the UK - Copyright unfortunately is not respected all around the world as it is in the UK - so you may find your DVD has been copied 'east' of the UK and there's not a lot you can do about that.

[terry dennis]

Brian

Thanks very much for that very useful piece of information. I will certainly action that which you have imparted.