**Added 1:58 p.m.** A closer look at the user agreement and whether you can give the burned movies to a friend. See addendum below.
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Noted: Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. and Lionsgate studios are now OK with consumers buying new DVD movies online and making copies of them, says the company making this available to the world (and as spotted today on Variety, Engadget, and a few other sites).
DivX Inc. has partnered with online movie store FilmFresh.com to offer downloadable movies from the four movie studios. Consumers can purchase movies — including high-definition versions — and download them to a PC or Mac. Movies can then be burned to DVD or Blu-ray disc, copied to any type of portable storage drive or stored on the computer for later viewing.
And we’re not talking about just old, boring films. Titles are to include new releases such as “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” Pineapple Express,” and “17 Again.” Older movies from these studios will be and are available, too.
The main reason why the movie studios are finally offering this feature is because of the format, DivX, which “has its own built-in copy protection so that films can be played back only on certified DivX devices that a consumer registers for his downloads,” points out Variety.
Of course, as Engadget points out, it’s not the first time we’ve heard from DivX. There have been a number of DivX certified products from DVD players to game consoles and cell phones. “But until now, despite several content agreements, in the U.S. there hasn’t been any content available in the format from the major studios,” writes Engadget.
Engadget also offers a few more details on what you can do with the legitimately owned download. Ownership is tied to a user ID so it can be played on multiple devices once registered. You’ll also be able to back up your copy.
Film Fresh is the only company offering DivX movies as a download in the United States. According to DivX, there are other companies but only overseas.
Film Fresh began offering the Hollywood movies today but from a search of what’s available, only three movies are from 2009. More are from 2008, including “Hancock,” for $15.99; “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” $9.99; and “The Other Boleyn Girl,” $9.99. Prices seem to be between $9.99 to $15.99.
**Addendum: Since somebody asked, I took a look at Film Fresh’s user agreement, which I’m assuming will remain the same when latest Hollywood releases are widely available. Important to note:
- You can download the movie once. If lost, Film Fresh won’t replace it.
- Personal, non commercial use only.
- You can view it on six Film Fresh authorized devices at any time.
- Copies are for personal, non-commercial use only.
- Don’t tamper with the DRM (Digital Rights Management)
But can you give it away if you’re tired of the movie? Short answer no. But there may be a loophole if the person is a good friend.
The way I understand it, a person registers all DivX players in the house with DivX (players include the PlayStation 3, several DVD and Blu-ray players — here’s a list of specific DivX players) by burning a tiny file to disc and playing the disc in the DVD player.
Registration is linked to the person’s user account. A movie can be played on up to six registered devices so if the sixth device happens to belong to a good friend… While the user agreement doesn’t specifically address whether users must own all six devices, the terms do say this is for personal use.
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