Last updated 4/11/01
What is CSS? It stands for Content Scrambling System, a means of encrypting the content on DVDs so that they can only be played back on players that are made by companies that have paid obscene amounts of money for the technical specifications that make DVDs work.
CSS was cracked by some programmers trying to create a DVD movie player for non-Windows operating systems such as Linux.
This page is meant to keep DVD-relevent links in one spot for easy access, there will be a certain amount of crossover with the copyright wrongs page.
The dates on articles use the US MM/DD/YY format.
Article links will be removed if it is discovered that they have been moved to restricted locations of any kind. Only articles believed to be publicly and permanently accessible will be listed here. Attempts will be made to avoid linking to sites that restrict articles.
One good place to visit for information is OpenDVD.Com
Eric S. Raymond made some very interesting comments on this issue in DVDCAA and the Big Lie on the Linux Today site.
From 32BitsOnline.com
:
EFF Asks Court For Relief In DVD Encryption Info
Ban by Martin
Stone (1/19/01)
From Australian IT News
Restricting DVDs 'illegal': ACCC
FromC|Net News:
DOJ
stands with film industry in DVD cracking case by Lisa M. Bowman
(2/22/01)
ISP
takes stand in dispute over DVD-cracking code by Lisa M. Bowman
(1/24/01)
Hollywood dealt setback in DVD code case by Evan Hansen
(12/14/00)
DVD
lawyers spill "secret" code by Evan Hansen (1/26/00)
Court blocks online publishing of DVD decryption
tool by Courtney Macavinta
(1/24/00)
From CNN Online
Legal Linux DVD player on the horizon by Sam Costello
(11/15/00)
DVD and the digital copyright act by Scott Bradner (2/4/00)
From Computer Reseller
News
Torvalds
slams DVD Industry by Edward F. Moltzen (2/2/00)
From Cryptome.Org an amici curiae brief that seems to use the DMCA to protect DeCSS.
From DiBona.com
DVD :Lawsuit
Filing -- What Happened by Chris DiBona (1/1/00)
This is included in his DVD Protest
page.
From FlatlineSystems.net
DeCSS - A Call For
Action No obvious author or date
From Fool.Com
Son
of DIVX: DVD Copy Control
From InfoWorld
Reactions passionate to DVD ruling by Sam
Costello (8/18/00)
DVD ruling may have profound implications by Sam Costello (8/17/00)
From Linux.Com
Linux and
Reverse Engineering by Tom Dominico, Jr. (9/6/00)
The DVD Cartel
by Rob Bos (1/28/00)
From LinuxJournal.com :
Return of the
Hacker by Jason Kroll (2/4/00)
Linux and
DeCSS: What the MPAA is Really After by Bryan Pfaffenberger
(2/4/00)
Crackers and
Crackdowns by Jason Kroll (1/27/00)
DVD Fun by
Doc Searles (12/30/99)
From LinuxNews
Move
Over, Spartacus--Here Comes DeCSS by Bonnie Greene (10/30/00)
From Linux
Today
As Robert
Cringely might have put it... By A.J. Mayo (2/11/00)
Arne
Flones -- The Digital Millenium Copyright Act: A Corporate Bully Bludgeon
by (Amazingly enough) Arne W. Flones (1/25/00)
Time to
organize against DVD lawyers by Eric Harlow (1/27/00)
From LinuxWorld:
Interview
with Jon Johansen by J. S. Kelly (Jan, 00)
From MSNBC
Sony quietly codes DVDs to defeat popular multi-region
players by
Ben Berkowitz (11/3/00)
From NewsForge:
EFF takes its
DVD case to Linux users, looking to raise funds by Nathan L. Walls
(9/15/00)
The New York Times is insisting on registration from the links that were here, and has therefore been removed.
From the osOpinion
site:
DeCSS
and the Big Deal by Andrew Yates (11/3/00)
I want
my DVD, your honor. by Dean Pannel (1/6/00) A very humorous take
on the issue
From The
Register,a UK IT news site
EU ennobles
music & film insustries ´a la DMCA By Thomas C. Greene (4/11/01)
Public Interest cIted
in DVD descrambler appeal by Thomas C. Greene (3/26/01)
DVD descrambler
encoded in 'illegal' prime number by Thomas C. Greene (3/19/01)
Tiny C code bests
seven-line DVD decoder by Tony Smith (3/13/01)
Boffins back 2600
over DeCSS ruling by Lucy Sherriff (1/25/01)
Verio stands firm
in DeCSS row by Linda Harrison (1/24/01)
Group proposes
CD-R, DVD compatibility spec by Tony Smith (12/15/00
Warner
attempts to out-hack DVD hackers by Tony Smith (10/9/00)
Mythology
dominates MPAA strategy in DVD trial by Thomas C. Greene
(7/25/00)
Tesco slams
'unnecessary' DVD zoning by Linda Harrison and Tony Smith
(2/21/00)
DVD
industry is "screwing customers" -- Torvalds by Thomas C. Greene
(2/2/00)
Young DeCSS developer
rudely arrested by Thomas C. Greene (1/26/00)
Norwegian coppers nick
DeCSS DVD geezers by Tim Richardson (1/25/00)
DeCSS temporarily
banned from the Net Thomas C. Greene (1/24/00)
Movie studios sue four
over DeCSS distribution by Tony Smith (1/20/00)
Hollywood big-guns take
aim at three Webmasters by Thomas C.Greene (1/15/00)
From Salon.Com
Criminal
Code by C. Scott Ananian (2/9/00)
From Scientific American
DVDs: Cease and DeCSS by Wendy Grossman
(May 2000)
From The
Standard :
Cyberspace
Prosecutor By Lawrence Lessig (2/18/00)
And from User Friendly the on-line comic strip, some bits of humor on the subject here and here
From WIRED on-line
magezine:
Descramble That DVD in 7 Lines By Declan McCullagh
(3/7/01)
DVD Piracy
Judge Tells All by Declan McCullagh (11/17/00)
Blazing a
Trail in Home Recording by John Gartner (11/16/00)
Fingering the DVD Pirates by Leander Kahney (10/18/00)
Fear of a
Pay-Per-Use World by Oscar S. Cisneros (10/9/00)
DVD Pirates
Face Watery Foe by Andy Patrizio (8/24/00)
Only News
That's Fit to Link by Declan McCullagh (8/23/00)
Studios
Score DeCSS Victory by Declan McCullagh (8/17/00)
First DVD
Recorder Debuts by Andy Patrizio (8/8/00)
Court to
Address DeCSS T-Shirt by Farhad Manjoo (8/2/00)
Teen Hacking
Idol Hits Big Apple by Declan McCullagh (7/20/00)
Movie
Studios on the Warpath by Declan McCullagh (7/18/00)
DeCSS
Lawyers Press MPAA by Declan McCullagh (7/17/00)
Recording
DVDs the Write Way by John Gartner (6/28/00)
Apex Player
Banned by Ebay by Andy Patrizio (6/20/00)
When DVD Is
Too Good to Be Legal by Leander Kahney (6/19/00)>
Movie Chief Mum
on DVD Piracy by Declan McCullagh (6/17/00)
DVD Mediation Sans Media by Declan McCullagh (6/7/00)
Tuning Up
Digital Copyright Law by Brad King (5/16/00)
DeCSS Gag
Injunction Appealed no credited author (5/15/00)
Link Ban
'Threatens Free Speech' by Declan McCullagh (5/4/00)
MPAA Sues to
Stop DeCSS Linking by Andy Petrizio (4/5/00)
APEX DVD
Player Full Featured by Andy Patrizio (4/4/00)
Legal DVD
for Penguin-Heads by Michelle Finley (3/31/00)
DVD Battle
Heats Up by Declan McCullagh (3/8/00)
DVD Wars:
Defense Rallies by Declan McCullagh (3/7/00)
Studios Score DeCSS Victory
by Declan McCullagh (8/17/00)
Judge Rags on
DVD Hackers by Declan McCullagh (2/3/00)
DVD Case: It's
a Linux Thing by Lynn Burke (1/28/00)
Teen Hacker's
Home Raided by Lynn Burke (1/25/00)
Small Win for
CA DVD Hackers by Lynn Burke (1/21/00)
DVD Round 1
Goes to Hackers by Chris Oakes (12/29/99)
Geeks Get
Thier Day in Court by Chris Oakes (12/29/99)
DVD Hackers Hit
With Lawsuit by Chris Oakes (12/28/99)
Case Hinges
on Reverse Hack by Chris Oakes (12/28/99) This man writes a lot. Good
thing, too.
From Aftenposten
which appears to be a Norwegian newspaper site.
Police Raid teen
hackers' home. no identified author (1/27/00)
I'll add more article pointers as I get time.