Audio Video News

Managed Copy Will Be Mandatory in Blu-ray

Mark Fleischmann  |  Jun 17, 2009

Managed Copy, until now an option in the Blu-ray disc format, will become a requirement next year.

Managed Copy isn't new. Fox has been using it for a couple of years. But now the rest of the studios will be required to provide the feature starting in the first quarter of 2010 now that AACS LA, the agency in charge of the format's digital rights management, has finalized the Managed Copy specifications. Note that while Managed Copy will be mandated in software, it will not be mandated in hardware, so if you want the feature, you'll have to shop for it. Getting the feature into hardware may take longer than getting it into software.

What exactly is Managed Copy? It allows consumers to make a single copy of any Blu-ray disc to recordable BD or DVD, hard drives, SD cards, portable players (currently excluding iPods), or other media. The option, available in the disc menu, would connect the player to a server to receive authorization. Studios may charge for the privilege. They might also sell the right to make additional copies.

The advent of Managed Copy comes against a background of court battles over the right to copy DVD, Blu-ray's aging sibling. Kaleidescape has waged a long campaign to protect its product, which transfers DVD content to a server. More recently, RealNetworks has battled the studios over its DVD-copying application.

See Video Business.

COMMENTS
Olivia's picture
Submitted by Olivia on May 22, 2023 - 6:09am

Office Technology has played a pivotal role in the entertainment industry, and the mandatory inclusion of managed copy for Blu-ray discs is an important development. With office technology enabling managed copy, Blu-ray users will have the ability to make legal copies of their discs for personal use. This not only enhances convenience but also safeguards against potential damage or loss of the original disc.

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