COPYCENSE

The New York Times and several other outlets reported Monday that the nation’s six major movie studios are planning to sell first-run movies online. Prices are reported to be in the $20 to $30 range. Details are available below from the sources we’ve listed.

What I’d really like to know is the following:

• What kind of DRM will the studios use to lock up their content?
• Will the studios all use the same DRM scheme?
• How quickly will someone find a way to break it? (This is a matter of “when,” not “if”)
• How will the studios react when the DRM scheme is broken?
• Who will pay $20 to $30 per download (the price listed in the Times story) for something he doesn’t own, especially when a typical new release DVD can be purchased for $15 to $22 at most retailers, including Best Buy and Amazon.com?

Saul Hansell. At Last, Movies to Keep Arrive on the Internet. The New York Times. April 3, 2006.

See also:

ArsTechnica. Legal Movie Downloads Come to the U.S., But Limitations Abound. April 3, 2006.

Rachel Rosmarin. Studios Take First Step In Movie Downloading. Forbes.com. April 3, 2006.

Updates:

Copyfight. Decoding the Drivel. April 4, 2006.

CopyCense™: K. Matthew Dames on the law, business, and technology of digital content. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.