[JoeD]

Originally Posted by Alisa

I think it's actually illegal to do that in the UK so I doubt they'd want to publicly encourage it.

There's a consultation under way which should hopefully change that and bring the UK laws into the 21st century.

Although until that does materialise, you're correct, it's illegal to format shift. Which would be enough to stop a TV show suggesting it.

At the risk of going semi-off topic, here's a snippet of the proposal:

6. It is proposed to create a new exception that would allow consumers to make a copy of a work they legally own, so that they can make the work accessible in another format for playback on a device in their lawful possession. The exception would only apply to personal or private use. The owner would not be permitted to sell, loan or give away the copy or share it more widely (for example in a file sharing system or on the internet). Multiple copying would not be allowed. The development of this exception raises the following questions:

Which brings up the questions:

• What classes of works would it apply to? Sound recordings and films or works of all kinds?

I'd hope they apply it to ALL works, or at least include literary works.

• Exactly what acts would be non-infringing? What is meant by personal and private use?

This may be harder for them to define, but hopefully common sense will prevail with wording to allow a home user to download and use applications to convert from an original format (that they have legally purchased) to another (even if they have to bypass DRM to do it) but that keeps selling/sharing/distributing the copy illegal, then that's ok.

• How many format shifts would be allowed? Should consumers be allowed to format shift to a range of play back devices and to format shift again when certain technologies become obsolete?

Hopefully they won't limit the number of format shifts.

Lets face it, if a user wants to convert a VHS into a DVD format and then convert it and store it in blu ray format, why prevent them?

They've bought the original in the first place and many people may buy the new DVD version or blu-ray because it provides greater quality than their conversion could ever acheive. Same again as technology moves from DVD -> HD.

Books would be the same, buy in .XYZ format and convert to the format that your device uses. In the future when tech changes, you convert to yet another format and so on. At some point in the future, the publishers may release a version of the book in the format you want that happens to be better "formatted" than your conversion. Perhaps it includes corrections and a better layout for the specific device you're planning to use. At this point you have the choice to convert your old format over, or buy the new one.

Let the consumer decide if the new version is worth buying.

• Would the exception apply to works created or purchased after the exception was introduced or would it be acceptable to format shift back catalogues?

I'd hope they'd make it back-dated.

Apologies for going off topic. I'm just hoping this law comes into effect. It should be possible to keep piracy illegal whilst allowing consumers sufficient rights to use content they've purchased/licensed.