BBC faces Christmas woe over HD copy protection

Posted by Chris Smith on Tue 10 Nov 2009

Auntie's HD bloomers.

The BBC faces a battle in order to save its Freeview HD Christmas schedule after failing in its plans to ease pressure from third-party TV studios by adding DRM copy protection to its high definition broadcasts.

Ofcom has denied the BBC's request to add encryption software to its HD programming that will shown over the festive season on the soon-to-be-launched Freeview HD platform.

Hollywood studios who have licensed programming to the BBC had sought assurances over safety from illegal copying, but Ofcom that the plan was not in the public interest and would have inhibited DVR recordings even for home use.

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The BBC wanted to scramble the broadcasts and offer secret decryption codes to only the set-top box manufacturers who promised to adhere to the copy protection standards. According to Ofcom, the scheme undermines the free-to-air principle, would limit consumer choice and would allow the BBC to pick and chose which manufacturers had access to its content.

Ofcom has asked the BBC for further clarification of its plans before making a final decision, with the Open Rights movement pledging to continue opposing the plans. Executive Director Jim Killock says: "The fight isn't over. We will continue to fight for peoples' rights to record material off of the TV for personal use as they have done for decades"

Link: BBC