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Thread ID: 75195 2006-12-19 20:08:00 NZ Copyright Law = No Multi Zone DVD Players? DRHILL (3490) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
508062 2006-12-19 20:08:00 There's a article about New Zealand ammended copyrigh law next year on slashdot, but I'm a bit worried about the following bit:

So despite the language used in the preamble to the bill:

"Technological protection measures (TPMs) offer a means to combat the ease of reproduction and distribution that digital technology provides. There are, however, concerns about "digital lockup" as such measures, by preventing access, cannot distinguish between infringing activities and permitted acts."

"New provisions are introduced to enable actual exercise of permitted acts where TPMs have been applied."

The actual law as proposed would make it unlawful to use a DVD player to play out of zone DVDs or games for consoles, selling multi-zone players would be a crime, sharing information on playing DVDs on Linux will be a crime.

artemis.utdc.vuw.ac.nz:8000
politics.slashdot.org
DRHILL (3490)
508063 2006-12-19 20:14:00 The actual law as proposed would make it unlawful to use a DVD player to play out of zone DVDs
I think you may find (That's vague enough?) that Commerce Commision opinion is that zoning is not enforceable in NZ / Aus, and may be illegal in fact.
If so, that is a pleasant breath of fresh air :rolleyes:
R2x1 (4628)
508064 2006-12-19 20:58:00 Don't think that's possible as people from Japan, China, Hong Kong, Korea all uses different zones, does that mean they can't watch their own DVDs? And there are tons of games made for game consoles that's only available in Japanese forms ... SKT174 (1319)
508065 2006-12-19 23:40:00 I doubt this law can be enforced.

It's not really illegal either because its the manufacturer sometimes that offers a firmware to overwrite the existing firmware for your dvd player to allow multizone

In Hong Kong.All DVD players or DVD drive do not have zones.If there is noone would buy it

Why should I buy a DVD Player and I can't play this, this or this?
Ninjabear (2948)
508066 2006-12-19 23:46:00 Anyway, my dvd player in my pc can run any dvds even if it's from China or Russia. Too bad my other DVD player can't do it. msnforum (11610)
508067 2006-12-20 00:00:00 I doubt this law can be enforced.


Oh yes they would. The GOV along side the NZ version of the MPAA would form a Regional Code Police form to come and nock down your door looking for a region free player then sock you with a $5K fine and 20 years jail..
paulw (1826)
508068 2006-12-20 00:35:00 Oh yes they would. The GOV along side the NZ version of the MPAA would form a Regional Code Police form to come and nock down your door looking for a region free player then sock you with a $5K fine and 20 years jail..


There's so many people with Region free players
Impossible to knock on every door
Ninjabear (2948)
508069 2006-12-20 01:10:00 you can't actually tell just by looking at the player

Besides there are alot of people who have dvd players that are not bought from NZ

My auntie bought a dvd player off retra vision and it wasn't region coded

Highly unlikely this law will work
Ninjabear (2948)
508070 2006-12-20 02:09:00 Region zoning does not protect copyright. It protects the studios' ability to distribute titles when and where they see fit. As such it is more an issue of protecting local distributors income and hence has parallel import implications much more than it does piracy implications.

Any claims by the studios that eliminating region-free players potects their copyright is spurious and would be seen as such. Parellel importing, both for individuals and businesses is allowed here.

If the technology being used enables the content to be copied - that's one thing. But region-free players merely allow users to play legimate, paid for content -- and the money goes back to the copyright holder -- and so that technology is not being used to breach copyright in any way.
Biggles (121)
508071 2006-12-20 02:34:00 A touch of commensense and contact with reality there, Bruce? But when did commonsense and reality start to have have anything to do with the law? Graham L (2)
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