Monday, Sep. 08, 2008
DVD Democracy
Two MIT programmers in 2000 decided they'd had enough with DVDs that would play on Macs or Windows PCs but not on the Linux operating system. By writing just seven lines of code, they created a program that could unscramble DVDs so they could be played on any operating system. They posted the code online, in part to help Linux users veg out with their laptops, but also as an exercise of free speech. The movie industry didn't see it that way, however. Concerned about losing revenue if the code aided piracy, the Motion Picture Association of America threatened legal action, but ultimately decided not to sue.