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Digital downloads for Canadians: Legal? Illegal? C’mon

Canadians will be subject to a new list of dos and don’ts when it comes to sharing electronic property if legislation proposed by the federal Conservatives passes in Parliament

(Source: CTV.ca)

Under the proposed legislation, the following would be legal:  

- Making a backup copy of legally acquired music, digital books or photos to an iPod or computers — unless the files are digitally locked
- Recording a TV or radio using a digital device, in order to view it later — but not to be stored in a library of recordings

Under the proposed legislation, the following would be illegal: 

- Peer-to-peer file sharing such as with BitTorrent software
- Downloading any copyrighted material without permission
- Making material available for others to download
- Circumventing digital locks put on music or software by manufacturers
- Recording television shows and movies for inclusion in personal libraries or collections
- Ripping DVDs to their iPod Video if a digital lock has been put in place to prevent the change of format
- Posting copyright-protected work onto a website such as Facebook or YouTube
- Sale of devices to enable hacking

Hollywood studios are changing their home-video strategy

Just read this information on the LA Times regarding Hollywood Studios adopting their current home-video strategies in order to catch-up with technology and customer’s demands.

It seems that Studio executives don’t expect any single technology — video on demand, digital downloads or Blu-ray — to replace the DVD cash cow. Because of this, they are planning new strategies that will benefit end users.

Here are some of the key things they are improving:

- Some studios are testing offering online and cable rentals on the same day as DVD releases to boost sales.
- Hollywood studios now want to open a new “window” — offering high-definition versions of movies for rental viewing in the home ahead of their DVD release — if the Federal Communications Commission grants cable and satellite companies permission to block in-home copying.
- Check more information here

Sub-$100 Blu-ray Drives by Winter

From blu-ray.com:

Representatives from SonyNEC Optiarc, the optical drive arm of the joint Sony and NEC collaboration, have revealed that they predict prices of Blu-ray combo drives - which can read Blu-ray discs and write DVD and CD - will reach sub-$100 prices by this upcoming holiday season. Additionally, it is expected that similar notebook drives would reach the $150 level by that same time.

They also predict that Blu-ray burners - those drives that can write to Blu-ray discs - will go for between $150-200. These lower prices will make the drives more accessible to computer manufacturers as consumer demand for Blu-ray drives steadily increases. Additionally, those looking to add some Blu to their existing systems will have a less expensive option to do so.

More information here…

blu-ray.com