Playing DVDs on Linux in the US, illegal?

**CtrlAltDel** · July 25th, 2008 04:13 PM

Is it really true that playing DVDs on Linux in the US is illegal? I am refering to movie DVDs you legally bought and want to play in a computer you also legally bought on the OS of your choice Linux- in the United States.

Postings on the Net seem to place this issue in the "grey area." Perhaps forum members based on the US can share some of their thoughts on this matter. I am curious as a friend want to bring a laptop to the US but prefers Linux on it.

**niky** · July 25th, 2008 05:41 PM

I wouldn't think so.

Under law, copying a DVD for distribution is illegal. What's gray is whether you can copy it for personal use.

But as to what you do with a DVD once you buy it, whether you play it on a DVD player, a Windows PC, a Mac or a Linux-based PC, or even if you spray it with ketchup and use it as a doggie chew toy is your prerogative. A manufacturer has no say (thanks to consumer rights) as to how you can use a product that they have sold you. If you use it improperly, they can void your warranty, but they can't do anything else.

The question arises, I guess, because on Linux you can bypass the safeties being built into Windows nowadays to prevent piracy. It's not illegal to do so... it's just the sale of pirated copies attained this way that is. (this is hypothetical, mind you... I've never checked to see if you can copy newer DVDs from the PC... but there are no barriers to copying old ones).

Same as PS modification... they can't prove the illegality of modifying your PS2 or PSP to play pirated games, but they can prove the illegality of buying the pirates themselves.

**Jun aka Pekto** · July 25th, 2008 06:25 PM

I've played dvd's in Linux using VLC. If it's illegal, no one's raised a fuss about it.

**roninblade** · July 25th, 2008 06:53 PM

thats absurd. how can the player's platform be illegal.

**CtrlAltDel** · July 25th, 2008 07:25 PM

Thanks for your comments. I may be asked to install Linux in a laptop bound for US (current OS residing in said laptop is pirated Windows XP). Understandably, the owner do not want to be caught in the US with a pirated Windows OS.

**Jun aka Pekto** · July 25th, 2008 07:50 PM

Originally Posted by CtrlAltDel

Thanks for your comments. I may be asked to install Linux in a laptop bound for US (current OS residing in said laptop is pirated Windows XP). Understandably, the owner do not want to be caught in the US with a pirated Windows OS.

I don't condone piracy. But, I doubt they're that strict.

**yebo** · July 25th, 2008 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by Jun aka Pekto

I don't condone piracy. But, I doubt they're that strict.

sometimes they are, they sometimes do check laptops. last time i went there the guy in front of me was asked to turn on his laptop and they verified his os if it was pirated by logging in to the microsoft web site and checking if the os was registered. chinese looking and young pa naman yung guy kaya alam nyo na, fits the profile. e di lalo na kung pinoy ka, no matter what age e swak na swak ka sa profile ng mahilig sa pirated hehehehe!

as for dvd, make sure you bring the original box/cover with the holographic seal intact (i.e., no scratches, no sign that it was peeled off then reused). they will check the seal if it is genuine or not. i know, mine got scrutinized by US customs. it took them 30 minutes to check out the 5 disks i brought along.

**Jun aka Pekto** · July 26th, 2008 01:49 AM

Originally Posted by yebo

sometimes they are, they sometimes do check laptops. last time i went there the guy in front of me was asked to turn on his laptop and they verified his os if it was pirated by logging in to the microsoft web site and checking if the os was registered. chinese looking and young pa naman yung guy kaya alam nyo na, fits the profile. e di lalo na kung pinoy ka, no matter what age e swak na swak ka sa profile ng mahilig sa pirated hehehehe!

as for dvd, make sure you bring the original box/cover with the holographic seal intact (i.e., no scratches, no sign that it was peeled off then reused). they will check the seal if it is genuine or not. i know, mine got scrutinized by US customs. it took them 30 minutes to check out the 5 disks i brought along.

Really? I tend to bring a Caselogic-ful of games and some dvd movies plus a bunch of Divx movies (I ripped from my own collection) in my external 2.5" hard drive. The customs officials didn't even bother to stop anyone. The last time was back in January of this year. I'm not sure why. I did fly in a US carrier which originated from Tokyo.

Maybe they're like cops. Cops here are lax with speeders during the first 29 days of the month. Then during the last 1-2 days, they nail their monthly quota of speeding tickets.

I guess I better be more careful next time (this September).