Copy Protected DVD

[SetOutMode]

So, hear me out on this one... I'm not looking for anything illegal (I hope) and I'm not sure where this would go.

 

 

Okay, I'm a paramedic and I'm also an instructor for the American Heart Association (AHA).  The classes that I teach include a lot of content on a DVD.  That has worked well for a number of years, but DVD's get scratched and need to be replaced... At $86 apiece... Per class... And I teach three classes.  That's not the problem, but maybe a little background.

So, at work, we have transitioned to using laptops that do not include an optical drive.  The was not a problem until I went to teach my first class with my new laptop.  I thought "No problem, I'll just rip the DVD's".

 

Well, everything I've tried has failed, I can't even copy the files off of the DVD.  Some sort of copy protection I'm assuming.  I have contacted the AHA and my training center who certifies me as an instructor. The response is essentially that our use case is not supported and I should carry a DVD player with me in my laptop bag and playing the DVD's on a PC is not officially supported.

So, off to Google I go.  There's several methods to decrypt and copy the individual video files, but nothing that preserves the menus and other ancillary content.  Not too big of an issue, but the AHA does occasionally audit classes to ensure that the training is of high quality... I just don't have a way to play DVD's, and I'm not the least bit excited to spend another $86 for the next time my copies get damaged.

 

Any solution that anyone can think of?

(Pic included to show that I'm actually in possession of these discs, not looking to rip movies to pirate)

[harryk]

Can you play the DVD on a computer with an optical drive? Or is it even protected from that?

 

You may be able to make a copy of the complete DVD as a disk image. Then load it and play it like the DVD.

[Guest]

Make an ISO file of your DVDs (1 per DVD) and play them with any "smart" software. i.e: VLC Media Player

That way you're not saving each file separately and you keep the menus, hence you respect the DMCA or whatever).

When you want to play the DVD, "mount" the .iso and then play it with your video software. It will be recognized as a DVD.

 

ISO image

Free ISO Burner (never used it, just to give an idea)

Virtual Clone Drive (to mount the ISO file)

VLC

 

Edited to add: Fair use

Btw, this (making an ISO file) is recognized as "Fair Use" as:

1. You own the originals
2. You use them for teaching
3. You don't modify the content and respect the original format (DVD)

So no one can critize you for doing that.

 

Also:

Quote

the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.

Source: Wikipedia

[Donut417]

8 hours ago, SetOutMode said:

Any solution that anyone can think of?

Make MKV can break the copy protection. BUT there are some legal issues. 

 

My understanding of the DMCA is that its illegal to break the copy protection on the disk. Now that being say if a average Joe Blow does this generally no one bats an eye. BUT your talking about a business doing this, that could get you in to some legal hot water. Because if the copy right holder ever found out, they could legally sue your business/organization. 

 

7 hours ago, Cora_Lie said:

Quote

the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.

 

Fair use generally doesnt count here. While your allowed to make backup copies of disks, your not LEGALLY allowed to break copy right protections. Seeing how the OP says he is an instructor for the American Heart Association, that would make me assume that they are in the US and subject to US copyright law. 

 

Quote

Technological Protection and Copyright Management Systems Each of the WIPO treaties contains virtually identical language obligating member states to prevent circumvention of technological measures used to protect copyrighted works, and to prevent tampering with the integrity of copyright management information. These obligations serve as technological adjuncts to the exclusive rights granted by copyright law. They provide legal protection that the international copyright community deemed critical to the safe and efficient exploitation of works on digital network

Via: https://www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf

[WereCatf]

8 hours ago, SetOutMode said:

Any solution that anyone can think of?

Something that I didn't see anyone mention is...a simple USB-connected DVD-drive. If you don't wanna go through the effort of ripping your DVDs, a USB-connected DVD-drive doesn't take a lot of space, it weighs almost nothing nowadays and works just like an internal drive would.

[Donut417]

Just now, WereCatf said:

Something that I didn't see anyone mention is...a simple USB-connected DVD-drive. If you don't wanna go through the effort of ripping your DVDs, a USB-connected DVD-drive doesn't take a lot of space, it weighs almost nothing nowadays and works just like an internal drive would.

The reason why is the OP stated they were trying to protect the disks from scratches. As the DVD's they are using are expensive as fuck. 

[WereCatf]

1 minute ago, Donut417 said:

The reason why is the OP stated they were trying to protect the disks from scratches. As the DVD's they are using are expensive as fuck. 

I do get it, yes, and yes, I would personally rip the DVDs, but it's still an option.

[Guest]

Screen record all the movies. 

[akio123008]

9 minutes ago, fpo said:

Screen record all the movies. 

This is the solution that always works.

[Founders]

Create .ISO's as @Cora_Lie recommended. Chances are many instructors are struggling with the same issues as you as DVD's are pretty much a dead medium at this point. I would check with one of your points of contacts with the organization and see if they're doing anything to get with the times. Many organizations with copy write protected instructional content have portals online for access. I have to imagine they have something like that in the works, hopefully.   

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Donut417 said:

Fair use generally doesnt count here. While your allowed to make backup copies of disks, your not LEGALLY allowed to break copy right protections. Seeing how the OP says he is an instructor for the American Heart Association, that would make me assume that they are in the US and subject to US copyright law. 

The text I copied in the quotes IS regarding the US law...  Dumb me understood that he was in the US and so looked for information regarding his case. I don't think he would be interested with the copyright laws in EU

 

So... Yes, the use he wants to make of it goes under "Fair Use", even more so as the original owner of the copyrights doesn't care to provide him/them with a more "up to date" video format.

Plus he is not going to give copies to his "classroom" it is just for use in support of the course he is teaching.

 

[greenhorn]

Maybe this is a bit of a long shot, but it is not impossible that the manufacturer of the product will give you new DVDs in exchange for your old, scratched ones, for a small fee (small in comparison with the price of the new product). Since you have already bought that product once, you could argue that you already have purchased the license to use it, which makes most of the retail price.

If you decide to try the other solutions (like creating a disc image), do make sure to check that this is legal for your intended use case. Maybe there is someone at the AHA's legal department who can give you professional advice on the legality of this course of action.

[Donut417]

3 minutes ago, Cora_Lie said:

The text I copied in the quotes IS regarding the US law...

The text I also copied is from US law, the DCMA, You are not ALLOWED to break copy protection. Anyone who does is technically breaking the law. Also fair use generally applies to a video clip, not an entire DVD. There are diffrent rules for normal people and Busineses/Orgnaizations. A normal person copies a DVD and very few bat an eye, a business/Organziaton copies a movie and someone is getting sued. 

[Guest]

47 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

The text I also copied is from US law, the DCMA, You are not ALLOWED to break copy protection. Anyone who does is technically breaking the law. Also fair use generally applies to a video clip, not an entire DVD. There are diffrent rules for normal people and Busineses/Orgnaizations. A normal person copies a DVD and very few bat an eye, a business/Organziaton copies a movie and someone is getting sued. 

Read the wikipedia link I provided. It's an excerpt of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling...

Of course the DMCA website would only provide information and ruling that is advantageous to them... I mean, it's the U.S. we are talking about...

 

In the E.U. it wouldn't even be a problem as you are not allowed to lock digital content to a support. And a DVD IS digital content, even more so if you own the DVD you can make a copy or migrate the physical support for personal use or for education.

 

If the OP feels like it, of course he should ask a lawyer about it.

 

Now, I gave my opinion, I won't pull anymore hair about it ^o^

 

Good luck OP with whatever decision you make

[Beerzerker]

Used to be there was a program that would have worked in the OP's case and here's the wiki about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD_Decrypter

 

I don't know all the legal particulars as they stand currently but maybe this will help in some way.

[williamcll]

If you are worried about legal issues, buy a region 0 DVD player that accepts all region locking. 

[Donut417]

10 minutes ago, williamcll said:

If you are worried about legal issues, buy a region 0 DVD player that accepts all region locking. 

How does that help the OP? He can buy a DVD player all day long. The issue is the the laptop they are using doesnt have a player built in, on top of that they are worried about scratching the DVD's. Digitizing them is the legal issue. Has nothing to do with Region locked disk. 

[SetOutMode]

12 hours ago, Cora_Lie said:

Make an ISO file of your DVDs (1 per DVD) and play them with any "smart" software. i.e: VLC Media Player

That way you're not saving each file separately and you keep the menus, hence you respect the DMCA or whatever).

When you want to play the DVD, "mount" the .iso and then play it with your video software. It will be recognized as a DVD.

 

ISO image

Free ISO Burner (never used it, just to give an idea)

Virtual Clone Drive (to mount the ISO file)

VLC

 

Edited to add: Fair use

Btw, this (making an ISO file) is recognized as "Fair Use" as:

1. You own the originals
2. You use them for teaching
3. You don't modify the content and respect the original format (DVD)

So no one can critize you for doing that.

 

Also:

Source: Wikipedia

I did attempt this with two methods. First I tried to rip using infrarecorder which would fail at 2-4% every time. I then attempted to copy the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO _TS directories off of the disk for playback in VLC. When attempting to copy the directories, the process would repeatedly fail. 

[SetOutMode]

3 hours ago, akio123008 said:

This is the solution that always works.

Unfortunately is isn’t entirely adequate for me. 

[SetOutMode]

5 hours ago, WereCatf said:

Something that I didn't see anyone mention is...a simple USB-connected DVD-drive. If you don't wanna go through the effort of ripping your DVDs, a USB-connected DVD-drive doesn't take a lot of space, it weighs almost nothing nowadays and works just like an internal drive would.

Officially, playing them in a PC is not supported, but is how I have always done it.  That is a fallback solution should I not be able to find an acceptable solution for completely digitizing them. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, SetOutMode said:

I did attempt this with two methods. First I tried to rip using infrarecorder which would fail at 2-4% every time. I then attempted to copy the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO _TS directories off of the disk for playback in VLC. When attempting to copy the directories, the process would repeatedly fail. 

An ISO File may be "big". Do you have enough space at the destination space to save the ISO file?

[FakeCIA]

First off, why is the American Heart Association still using DVD's to teach safety and recovery procedures? Second, you cannot copy copyrighted material according to US DMCA. The AHA would have the legal right to charge you for infringement. You also do not have the legal right to represent the AHA in this matter as you could then be charged with perjury. As this is not necessarily a major issue, you may only get a month in jail, depends on the judge and your state.

[nbrowser]

I know not the most elegant solution but it'll work...

 

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-DW316-USB-DVD-Drive-DW316/dp/B00VWVZ0V0/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3CXX7A21093V6&keywords=dell+dvd+drive+external&qid=1583092738&sprefix=dell+dvd+%2Caps%2C204&sr=8-3

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, FakeCIA said:

First off, why is the American Heart Association still using DVD's to teach safety and recovery procedures? Second, you cannot copy copyrighted material according to US DMCA. The AHA would have the legal right to charge you for infringement. You also do not have the legal right to represent the AHA in this matter as you could then be charged with perjury. As this is not necessarily a major issue, you may only get a month in jail, depends on the judge and your state.

Read my comments on Fair Use...

[FakeCIA]

1 hour ago, Cora_Lie said:

Read my comments on Fair Use...

Read that. These DVD's are not protected under Fair Use or Creative Commons. In a criminal court, they would be recognized as being under ownership of the American Heart Association due to their logo being clearly displayed as a trademark/copyright. As copying DVD's without authorization in the US is illegal, OP would not be brought before a civil court.