"I Don't Want To Be A Criminal", DRM Breaker Confesses To Anti-Piracy Agency

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  • admin
    Administrator
    • Nov 2001
    • 8951

    "I Don't Want To Be A Criminal", DRM Breaker Confesses To Anti-Piracy Agency

    Denmark's law strictly prohibits the breaking of any DRM, including that found on DVDs. However, its laws also allow for fair use, such as ripping your own legally purchased DVDs for better ease of use. One citizen is tired of the conflicting laws and has sought confrontation with an anti-piracy agency with the hope of clearing up the confusion.

    Henrik Andersen publicly admitted that he has ripped 100 films and 10 seasons of TV series, but they were all done using legally purchased discs for digital storage in his media server, and has sent the confession to anti-piracy group Antipiratgruppen, with request for a response by the end of the month.

    The popularity of the Internet and new digital technologies such as DVDs created panic through those who failed to understand the massive changes that were happening, including many in the movie industry and the politicians that they lobbied. The "digital panic" was born, and many countries adopted laws that prohibited the breaking or even the attempted breaking of any and all DRM measure, in many cases regardless of whether the DRM was sufficiently strong or not. Yet, there is no requirement for any actual crime to be committed in order for someone to get into trouble for breaking DRM. The act of breaking DRM is seen as the crime, even if no damage is done to anyone (or anything). And this is where Henrik finds himself, not hurting anyone's commercial interest (and actually helping the movie studios by being such a movie/TV fan and buying so many movies), and yet, technically he's on the wrong side of the law.

    More:

    A citizen is so tired of his country's copyright laws he has reported himself to an anti-piracy group. In his written confession, the 'pirate' admits to copying more than one hundred purchased movies and TV shows for his own use - legal in Denmark - but breaking DRM on the same is an act forbidden under Danish law.


    Henrik's website:

    Visit Digital Digest and dvdloc8.com, My Blog
  • admin
    Administrator
    • Nov 2001
    • 8951

    #2
    The anti-piracy agency in which Mr Andersen reported to has promised a reply to him by 1st of December.

    In the meantime, their lawyer has made some rather strange comments (in my opinion anyway):

    "Unless people confess, then it’s impossible to prove that they have broken copy protection. We can not break down the door to people’s homes and explore what they have available on their media server"

    What he seems to be saying is that they're willing to turn a blind eye to it since there's no way they can enforce the "don't break DRM" law. This is true, but it just further demonstrates the ridiculous nature of the law, one that cannot be enforced yet still exists and conflicts with laws that protect the rights of the consumer.

    The Association of Danish Videodistributors is considering reporting Mr Andersen to the police.

    More:

    This week a man reported himself to an anti-piracy group, confessing to breaking the DRM on more than one hundred movies and TV shows, in an attempt to draw attention to unhelpful copyright laws. Now the anti-piracy group has taken the time to respond, not yet to the man in question, but to the press.
    Visit Digital Digest and dvdloc8.com, My Blog

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