MPAA on DVD copies

I was interviewing John Feehery, executive VP for the Motion Picture Association of America, for a story on Rep. Rick Boucher’s proposed Digital Media Consumer Rights Act.

If passed, the DMCRA will make it legal to A) copy your digital content for legitimate (i.e., non-piracy) purposes, and B) create products to allow that copying if such products have substantial noninfringing uses.

But Feehery seemed against the idea of any copying. He said, at one point, “That’s the biggest concern: They can make one copy, but it’s kinda like a Lay’s potato chip — how can you only make one? Can you really only make one? Will you only make one?”

The following conversation (transcribed verbatim) then ensued:

Me: But the alternative — I’m playing Devil’s advocate as I did with Mr. [Representative Rick] Boucher — the alternative is, “Well, you can’t make any copies.”

Feehery: Well, that’s right. That’s why you buy a copy and you give it to your friends and they all use it. Right. On a DVD, yes.

I mean, that’s right. Movies are not like music. Movies are different than music in the sense that people watch a movie and they put it away and they might watch it again in three months or you know, maybe they’re interested in something and they watch it every day. But with music there’s more of a possibility … people listen to music all the time.

Me: Right.

Feehery: So it’s a different kind of entertainment experience. But our biggest concern, obviously, is that if you you know, open the door to that kind of activity, it’ll definitely swing wide open for pirates.