NationStates Jolt Archive

In early 2003, the UN decided to remove regional coding from DVD's. DVD region coding was originally instituted to promote sales in individual regions (preventing one region from dominating the DVD market.) By removing region coding, any region could lower its price significantly in comparison to other regions, and there would be a great deal of exporting from that region. Therefore, other regions' DVD sales would decrease significantly.
Another reason to reinstate DVD region encoding is to prevent piracy in third-world countries.

We MUST reinstate DVD region encoding.

Interesting. Is that the text of your proposal?

Yep, apparently so.
Description: UN Resolution #5: DVD region removal (Category: Free Trade; Strength: Mild) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.

Argument: In early 2003, the UN decided to remove regional coding from DVD's. DVD region coding was originally instituted to promote sales in individual regions (preventing one region from dominating the DVD market.) By removing region coding, any region could lower its price significantly in comparison to other regions, and there would be a great deal of exporting from that region. Therefore, other regions' DVD sales would decrease significantly.
Another reason to reinstate DVD region encoding is to prevent piracy in third-world countries.

We MUST reinstate DVD region encoding.

Approvals: 6 (Polioa, NewTexas, Blueshoetopia, Black Reading, United Swines, SunderlandAFC)

Status: Lacking Support (requires 144 more approvals)

Voting Ends: Tue May 31 2005

In early 2003, the UN decided to remove regional coding from DVD's. DVD region coding was originally instituted to promote sales in individual regions (preventing one region from dominating the DVD market.) By removing region coding, any region could lower its price significantly in comparison to other regions, and there would be a great deal of exporting from that region. Therefore, other regions' DVD sales would decrease significantly.

Who says piracy is limited to third world countries? I mean lots of piracy happens in first world countries :p

So what if they lower the price? ITS CALLED COMPETITION!

I can think of a scenario where region restrictions might be important.

Say nation A has laws which do not permit the sale of certain material (pornography for example). Nation B has a boat load of the latest adult movie to reach the shelves which Nation A does not want playing on their DVD players.

Luckily nation A is in a different region to nation B, thus most of the DVD players in A will not run the mucky films nation B produces. It cuts down on their distribution, and Nation A only has a trickle of these films being imported, rather than a torrent.

I know it's not a perfect scenario, and there are other factors to consider, but it is a good reason to have regions.

I personally prefer having no regional restrictions so we can spread our Hirotan based subliminal propaganda throughout the world via DVD. ;)

I prefer regions nonexistent, as aside from the free trade issue there's the simple fact that it's never a matter of regions A and B. It's a matter of Regions A to Z to ZZ to ZZ9 plural Z alpha. There are somewhere around 40,000 nations in the U.N., in around 3000 regions, and a nation designating its own personal DVD region cuts other nations off from the art and culture of said nation.

In early 2003, the UN decided to remove regional coding from DVD's. DVD region coding was originally instituted to promote sales in individual regions (preventing one region from dominating the DVD market.) By removing region coding, any region could lower its price significantly in comparison to other regions, and there would be a great deal of exporting from that region. Therefore, other regions' DVD sales would decrease significantly.
Another reason to reinstate DVD region encoding is to prevent piracy in third-world countries.

We MUST reinstate DVD region encoding.

While theoretically possible, "DVD region encoding" represents another hopeless step in the ultimately winless battle against piracy. Like any copy prevention initiatives, it is bound to fail, because no matter how hard anyone tries to make their work "copy-proof" the pirates are working just as hard to break the code, if not harder.

Mainly, though, we support DVD region removal on the grounds that it is inherently unfair to the customer, whose rights to privately enjoy whatever they purchase is being violated. Suppose that I legally purchase a DVD in Manium and then bring it back to Rome to watch in the privacy of my own home. I do not copy it and thus do not make any copies that could be "sold" to other people- I simply enjoy it in the comfort of my own home. Would it be fair to restrict me, a law-abiding citizen, from enjoying something that I legally purchase, which is what DVD regioning does? We, the Romans, think not.

Suppose that I legally purchase a DVD in Manium and then bring it back to Rome to watch in the privacy of my own home. I do not copy it and thus do not make any copies that could be "sold" to other people- I simply enjoy it in the comfort of my own home. Would it be fair to restrict me, a law-abiding citizen, from enjoying something that I legally purchase, which is what DVD regioning does? We, the Romans, think not.

I'd submit a proposal abolishing DRM, for similar reasons (not being able to play on the system/player you want, etc.), but I don't think the majority are that liberal on the area.

:D Whichever way this vote goes, our pirates win.

I'd submit a proposal abolishing DRM, for similar reasons (not being able to play on the system/player you want, etc.), but I don't think the majority are that liberal on the area.

I think we can sell it, especially if we play more the liberal side of the argument than the piracy argument. OOCly, there are a lot of players here are from outside the US where Copy Control is considerably more present and thus would come across it on a major scale, so we'd be able to sell an anti-DRM campaign to them.

I'd submit a proposal abolishing DRM, for similar reasons (not being able to play on the system/player you want, etc.), but I don't think the majority are that liberal on the area.

Well, I think the greater issue, is the ability for multi-nationals to abuse that artificial monopoly in that area as to jack prices up in one area to subsidise another market to gain share. Its almost the equivilant to dumping in WTO terms.

Say nation A has laws which do not permit the sale of certain material (pornography for example). Nation B has a boat load of the latest adult movie to reach the shelves which Nation A does not want playing on their DVD players.

Luckily nation A is in a different region to nation B, thus most of the DVD players in A will not run the mucky films nation B produces. It cuts down on their distribution, and Nation A only has a trickle of these films being imported, rather than a torrent.

Sounds like region encoding is a solution looking for a problem. The above method of censorship will only succeed if no nations in the same region as Nation A produce material that Nation A doesn't want its citizens to see.

While theoretically possible, "DVD region encoding" represents another hopeless step in the ultimately winless battle against piracy. Like any copy prevention initiatives, it is bound to fail, because no matter how hard anyone tries to make their work "copy-proof" the pirates are working just as hard to break the code, if not harder.

Who needs code breaking? Install a daemon that sits between the OS and the sound output, recording any data sent (software like this already exists). To prevent that the industry would need to encrypt data going to the speakers (which would unencrypt the data), but a few carefully positioned probes could still catch the unencrypted version. Unless the industry tries to pass laws making it illegal to have a look inside your own hardware...

Sounds like region encoding is a solution looking for a problem. The above method of censorship will only succeed if no nations in the same region as Nation A produce material that Nation A doesn't want its citizens to see.

Like I said, it's hardly a perfect scenario - I was trying to think when region encoding might be desirable.

But I did say I'm broadly in favour of retaining the current legislation

Who needs code breaking? Install a daemon that sits between the OS and the sound output, recording any data sent (software like this already exists). To prevent that the industry would need to encrypt data going to the speakers (which would unencrypt the data), but a few carefully positioned probes could still catch the unencrypted version. Unless the industry tries to pass laws making it illegal to have a look inside your own hardware...

I'm actually aware of that ("the analog hole"), and my general point was more or less what you're saying- that no matter what, the pirates will ALWAYS find a way to thwart any copy-prevention schemes media companies think up. Besides, if media can be played it can be copied- the industry can make it more difficult but can never prevent it.