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This type of seamless copy protection meets our objectives
for effective copy protection. Firstly, it actually does prevent most copying to VHS. Its
results are visible and dramatic and can be demonstrated by anyone who tries to make
copies; the widespread knowledge that this process exists will itself be a deterrent.
Secondly, it accomplishes its results unobtrusively. Legitimate viewing of the disc is not
obstructed; only an attempt to record the video on a VCR will result in a scrambled
picture. A user who never attempts to make an illegal copy may never even be aware that
the copy protection is in place. Two of our criteria were not met completely by the video copy protection, but we feel that they are acceptable compromises. Firstly, the payment that content producers pay to Macrovision to license the copy protection technology is a minor and incidental cost: the videodisc costs about $20 per copy, not an unreasonable cost considering it is only about 25-30% more than a VHS copy of the same movie. And secondly, the low cost of the disc and the durability of optical storage make keeping an "archival backup" unnecessary and unworth the risk it presents to the content makers. |