The movie industry is considering changes to HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc licensing agreements that would formally give consumers the right to make several legal copies of HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc movies they’ve purchased. The agreement would let buyers make a backup copy in case their original disc is damaged and another copy for their home media server, said Michael Ayers, a representative of an industry group that licenses the AACS (Advanced Access Content System) copy-prevention system.

Many buyers would consider backing up DVDs or using them on a home media server fair use, and already are making backups. AACS, the copy-protection technology used on HD DVD and Blu-ray discs, has been cracked, and free utilities are available for ripping discs.

The licensing agreement is under negotiation between the AACS Licensing Adminstrator, which Ayers represents, and companies using AACS technology, including Sony, IBM, Walt Disney, Warner Bros., and Microsoft.

AACS LA, the group that licenses AACS technology, is pushing studios to support “managed copying”. Their hope is that companies could charge a premium for discs that would allow copying, much like Apple is pricing DRM-free MP3s at a premium.
“We want to be able to maximize the number of movies that are able to be offered,” said Ayers.

via InfoWorld