Hollywood to permit legal DVD burning of movie downloads

The DVD Copy Control Association, a film industry group created by Hollywood studios, plans to lift some restrictions to allow consumers to legally burn downloaded movies onto blank DVDs. “The impending technical and policy changes involve the copy group’s proprietary technology known as the Content Scramble System, or CSS,” reports the AP. “The association licenses the encryption technology to makers of DVD players and other electronics companies and applies it widely to movies on DVDs to restrict illegal copying. The association said it will soon expand licensing to movies that are digitally distributed on demand or a la carte—and not just for movies that are mass produced on DVDs. The group also is working with disc makers to produce CSS-compatible blank DVDs.” The removal of the DVD hurdles is seen as a sign that Apple and other online merchants will soon start selling full-length movies.