Bill Could Criminalize Fast-Forwarding DVD Ads, Trailers

WBAL Baltimore, MD (http://www.thewbalchannel.com/money/3930803/detail.html)

Thursday November 18, 2004

A new bill before Congress may eventually have DVD-viewers thinking twice before fast-forwarding through the ads and previews.

The proposed legislation would make fast-forwarding through those ads illegal -- not only in theaters, but also at home, NBC News reported.

The bill allows technology that lets families edit out explicit scenes or material to track the DVD use. But broadcast companies have lobbied hard to keep commercials and movie trailers off limits.

"Their concern is if it becomes easy for people to skip ads, then their whole business model goes down the drain," said Gigi Sohn, of a consumer advocacy group called Public Knowledge.

Public Knowledge is fighting the bill and Sohn said families have been skipping ads ever since the early days of the VCR.

Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, agreed, saying: "Do we really expect to throw people in jail for behavior they've been engaged in for more than a quarter century?"

Media executives said that's not their goal. The Motion Picture Association said it supports other parts of the act, "particularly those provisions that will help combat the theft of motion pictures," NBC News reported.

isnt Focus the only company with previews on DVDs?

Memo to The Industry:
Bad Idea. Humans are creatures of habit. We've been fast-forwarding through your advertisements on video tapes and discs for almost three decades now, and if you think we're going to give up an option we've had for the last thirty years, you're sadly mistaken...

And to Congress: Passing This Bill, once the Public Got Wind of it completely (And they WOULD), would basically kill ANY hope of reelection you have.

Oh please... :rolleyes:

I will continue to do it. :lol:

If you ad people don't like the fact that we don't watch your ads on DVD's then stop putting them there. Also, stop *stars*whining about it. If you push this in congress, we will not only unelect any congressman/woman who votes for it, but we will boycott any and every product that you attempt to shove down our throats in the DVD's.
Sincerely,
ME! :p

This has to be the biggest joke of a bill I've ever seen.

From my understanding what could happen is the DVDs may be rigged, so that your Scan/Skip or the Menu functions won't work on your DVD player or remote, during the advertisement segments on the disc.

Originally posted by Jenya
From my understanding what could happen is the DVDs may be rigged, so that your Scan/Skip or the Menu functions won't work on your DVD player or remote, during the advertisement segments on the disc. Right, I figured as much. Can you imagine or comprehend what an invasion of privacy, and the right to do what you like in your own home, wiith your own bought and paid for DVD player, that is?
:mad:

Originally posted by Kitt
Right, I figured as much. Can you imagine or comprehend what an invasion of privacy, and the right to do what you like in your own home, wiith your own bought and paid for DVD player, that is?
:mad:

I know. Not only that, read the TiVo article (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=125394) I posted the other day. :mad:

Originally posted by Jenya
I know. Not only that, read the TiVo article (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=125394) I posted the other day. :mad: The information in that article is depressing. We are so used and abused. What a nightmare.:(

ohno: What next, making it illegal to FF through commercials when you record a show on your VCR? :rolleyes:

I swear if this passes someone will be lynched by the public :mad:

It's nice to know Congress is wasting time on this.

:rolleyes:

What idiots. Ill still do it anyway. Go ahead and arrest me :lol:

Originally posted by RurryMicelli
What idiots. Ill still do it anyway. Go ahead and arrest me :lol:

I'm gonna do it too... I mean, come on! How are they going to catch you? If you have a TV not facing the window or anything and there's no cops nearby, that'd be hard to catch you.

From what I understand... it'll force you to watch them. When you hit Fast-Forward, it'll come up with a no symbol so you won't be able to do it. :wallbang

Most DVDs that I buy have the ads and trailers. Disney is particularly bad, but most do it.

If I am forced to let them play... well... that is obviously the time to go to the bathroom, get your snacks, get comfy, etc. Take that time to do those things instead of putting your machine on pause. It'll probably increase the life of your DVD and your DVD player.

isnt that why they have a menu for trailers? anyways, Disney sometimes puts trailers for the first time on dvd, like instead of premiering it online or in theatres, it goes to dvd first....

the silly part is that this actually promotes dvd pirating - why pay twice as much for something that forces me to sit through 10 minutes of previews every time I wanna watch it?