Studios to allow direct-to-DVD burning for films

Last Updated: Friday, September 21, 2007 | 1:06 PM ET

CBC News

A way has been cleared for consumers to legally burn DVDs of films downloaded from the internet, after a meeting of Hollywood studios, technology companies and the group that licenses DVD software.

The DVD Copy Control Association hammered out an agreement with movie studios, electronics makers and computer makers and announced late Thursday that it will license software to allow content to be burned onto one disc but not copied to others.

Currently, consumers can only download movies to be played on their computers or portable devices. There is no legal method of burning them onto DVDs, and the files are not DVD quality.

The association won't make the process easy, though. Films will have to be burned onto special DVDs, which will have preprinted codes in order to prevent copying.

In addition, these DVDs will cost more because of royalty payments to technology companies that created the codes.

Nor will users be able to watch the downloaded version on a computer or portable video player. As well, many DVD burners on older computers would have to be upgraded to use the process.

The studios still have to decide how much to charge for the DVD-burning option.

Hollywood has been reluctant to allow direct-to-burn options for films, afraid of a proliferation of illegal copying. The industry has led a public fight over the past few years over illegal DVD copies of its films.