HDCP Strippers Legality




Are they legal?

Strictly speaking, HDCP Strippers are in reality encryption countermeasure devices. Whether all that the user is doing is just removing the digital rights management from the original signal in order to be able to view it on his or her non-HDCP compliant HDTV is another story, yet we cannot see how these devices can pass the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
However, there are facts that deserve to be considered:

  • HDCP is not a law or mandate yet. Manufacturers of source components such as HD-DVD&Blu-Ray players, cable boxes, and satellite receivers have been forced to include it on all their products that output pure digital content. However, these manufacturers have also included an “escape hatch” so you can turn off the HDCP should you decide you don’t need it in your system.
  • Japan’s hardware players to be less restricted:
    When it comes to that illusive analog hole, Japan’s got it good. All HD players (not PS3 sorry) sold in Japan through the end of 2010 will not be allowed to downsample HD output over analog (component) connections, since most HDTV’s over yonder are not digital. Interestingly enough, Japan also have the same region code as the US for Blu-ray (not sure about HD-DVD), which means a player bought over there will play all discs you buy over here (if you live in the US). The MPAA’s blatant disregard for the A-hole is amongst our biggest complaints. If your HDTV doesn’t have a HDMI or HDCP-compliant DVI port, of which there are over dozens millions, it sounds like you’ll be able to get around this problem with an imported player. So the question remains: How hard and how expensive will it be to import one these players? This question of course comes after the much more important question, Why do I have to go to such great lengths to rightfully watch high definition movies over analog connections?
  • EU investigating HD DVD, Blu-ray licensing terms, Engadget writes :
    Both high definition optical disc formats have already seen their share of setbacks in the form of delays and hardware problems, and now they may be facing some nasty anti-trust allegations pending the results of a recently-launched EU probe. Having already flexed its authoritative muscle against Microsoft, the European Commission has now moved on to investigating the terms that the major backers of Blu-ray and HD DVD are exerting upon their respective licensees. Since the investigation is still “unofficial” at this point, the Commission refused to specify the particular companies being probed, although Sony publicly confirmed that it has received one of the letters in question and that it’s cooperating with regulators.
  • The **AA’s of the world think that in absolutely no circumstances should DRM be allowed legal circumvention, even at the cost of human life
  • AACS: the Blu-Ray encryption scheme similar to CSS for DVD was recently cracked.
    That fact alone should solve the HDCP strippers legality question.
    Assuming anyone can now download a HD-DVD or Blu-Ray movies in 1080p perfect 1:1 copy through Internet or can produce his/her own 1:1 copy with software publicly available.
    There is no point to sue HDCP stripper anymore, except forcing consumer to purchase a new display.
  • HDCP license agreement states:
    - HDCP compliant device should not allow easy access to uncrypted analog signal.
    - HDMI/HDCP input should be permanently fixed on the Display PCB
    Using widely available connector would immediately represents an offense to the HDCP license agreement.
    Using Device in the middle would fall under same restrictions.
    We have designed HDfury to comply to the above rules.
  • Last but not least, we have something that should clear any doubt:
    Previous HDCP strippers not complying to the HDCP ruling list above was removed from the shelves.
    International lawyers agencies working for the industry kept sending warning letters around to anyone producing or selling man-in-the-middle HDCP stripper solution.
    Here, you can view the very official and original list of HDCP members. There is something weird with that list.
    In fact, the manufacturer of the only one HDCP stripper still widely available on the market today (around 250$/200€ retail price) is a HDCP member listed on the official HDCP members list.
    We rang and sent emails to digital-cp.com asking for an explanation, why and how this was possible ?
    It was left unanswered.

Now, you can probably feel the “Fury” that gave us the willing to work out the ultimate solution to this predeterminated nightmare. That “Fury” will be visually unleashed on your display through the best picture quality ever reached with an analog display. Same “Fury“ may also transform your Analog display into a full Digital HDCP compliant display.