Hollywood Arrogance

[DVD Maniac]

There have been many posts on the forum in the past relating to the legitimacy and moral issues relating to what we all do with our DVD's bought, copied, rented or otherwise.

Here's an example which might change a few minds and reinforce the feelings of others.

A friend recently approched me asking for help with a DVD he had recently purchased from legitimate sources. It's a well known title from a well known Hollywood studio. On startup, the disc launches into an "upcoming attractions" title which we are all familiar with. The difference with this one is its 20 minutes worth of trailers to crap films that you would not want to see even if you had had your Brains removed and get this.....user prohibited so you CANNOT scan through them or skip to the menu to get to the main film!

I was so astounded I had to check the structure three times, and yes. user prohibited so you HAVE to watch 20 minutes of marketing crap EVERY TIME you want to watch the legitimately purchased film.

I advised my friend to return the film as "unwatcheable" but of course he got the usual pre-rehearsed "it plays doesn't it" from the shop assistant.

The sheer arrogance of the studio and authoring company that could put this together is quite astounding. Of course I have now created a backup for my friend which bypasses this garbage when he wants to watch the film.

Just another reason for justifying Fairuse (as if we neede one)

[Nic]

(The issue you have just described was one of the main reasons I got interested in the decryption of DVDs)

[communist]

20 minutes 'ADS'?! Thats worse than TV and should be tagged criminal :devil:
For what do people buy DVDs? To watch stuff when they want _without_ ads and delays among other reasons :rolleyes:

[Guest]

Fast forward.

[Neo Neko]

Originally posted by neuron2
Fast forward.

That's just it. They make it so you can't. Without re-authoring that is. I have never seen one excessive enough to go a whole 20 minutes. But I highly suspect it is a Disney DVD. I have however seen DVD with unskippable ads that are definatly excessive even without being 20 minutes long. :p

[sysKin]

Originally posted by DVD Maniac
I advised my friend to return the film as "unwatcheable" but of course he got the usual pre-rehearsed "it plays doesn't it" from the shop assistant.He should have said "no, it doesn't play. I'll change my mind if you show me the first chapter. You've got ten minutes to do so".

I wonder what would happen.
Radek

[GWD]

I haven't heard of this excessive marketing ploy before, but that sounds pretty bad...

You've been able to check the structure, so you know the exact length of time that it takes to go through the ads. All other owners of this DVD might like to consider that they have to stick the DVD in, switch off the TV and wait 20 mintues before turning it back on, but that would just make it acceptible for studios to do this.

It sounds like they've discovered a loophole regarding excessive advertising and the user choosing to watch it (ie. bought the DVD, therefore, accepting to watch 20 minutes of ads before having options to watch other material.) The DVD should have a disclaimer with that clearly visible to the purchaser, or it could be in breach of your FCC rules (assuming you're from the USA. You'll need to check this though... remember, just because they haven't put a disclaimer on it doesn't mean they're not legally obligated to do so - they'll get away with anything they can until it's "brought to their attention...").

You probably can't stop them from doing this legally, but you can affect DVD sales if they are forced to disclaimer DVD's and as a result people simply don't buy them. Time to lobby a politician...

[DVD Maniac]

It sounds like they've discovered a loophole regarding excessive advertising and the user choosing to watch it (ie. bought the DVD, therefore, accepting to watch 20 minutes of ads before having options to watch other material.) The DVD should have a disclaimer with that clearly visible to the purchaser, or it could be in breach of your FCC rules (assuming you're from the USA. You'll need to check this though... remember, just because they haven't put a disclaimer on it doesn't mean they're not legally obligated to do so - they'll get away with anything they can until it's "brought to their attention...").


GWD
Your observations are very enlightened and I suspect very accurate. I note from your location that you live in what can still be described as a free democracy. I however, live in a country run by politicians who want to remove as many rights as possible from their population that they can get away with. They also don't have a problem with utilising the latest technology to harrass and undermine our every day lives, you only have to look at the passion with which digital imaging and speed cameras are deployed as road side mugging devices for evidence of that.

When it comes to the latest laws on digital copyright, the UK has adopted pretty much the most ruthless form so the lagal route for these kinds of abuses are very unlikely to be successful. Like I said, the deck is always stacked against the consumer here, so we can only attempt to fight back with other methods.......

[mpucoder]

Originally posted by GWD
The DVD should have a disclaimer with that clearly visible to the purchaser, or it could be in breach of your FCC rules

Sorry, the FCC has no say about recorded media, only what is broadcast. But you could make a claim about the merchantability and fitness of purpose of the product since it is not what you, the consumer, expect or are willing to accept. You bought a DVD claiming to contain a movie, not a sampler of other DVDs, or a collection of trailers.

[dragongodz]

wow thats a real shocker. the worst i have had is 2.5 minutes of previews before it got to the main menu. not skipable but it was fastforwardable. the funny thing is that the very movie its on is included in the previews so i suspect if i bought any of the other previewed films aswell they would also have the same rubbish at the start.

I note from your location that you live in what can still be described as a free democracy. I however, live in a country run by politicians who want to remove as many rights as possible from their population that they can get away with.
actually our current government is pretty much the same. they are pushing so hard for the u.s. free trade agreement its not funny. too bad if our sugar farmers are screwed, too bad that our Aussie tv content will dry up to near zero(basically turn in to u.s. crap), too bad that the agreement gives people like the mpaa rights like dmca here without letting the general public know. for such a major thing there should be a reforendom but that wont happen because they know it would never pass.
ok enough politics. :)