Automatic installation of DVD CSS support

[Denis Washington]

Ubuntu can install missing gstreamer codecs for some time, which is really a pleasent feature. Thanks to everyone who made this possible! However, when attempting to play a DVD with CSS encryption, Totem still just tells the user that it doesn't support it and offers no auto-installation of the missing libdvdcss. As DVD support is incredibly important for a desktop Linux distro, I propose to also add auto-installation facilities for CSS decryption support (naturally accompanied by the usual copyright-related warnings). A script for doing this could for instance launch install-css.sh from the libdvdread3 package.

[Martin Owens (doctormo)]

The problem is not Copyright, libdvdcss is GPL software and as such is completely FOSS. The problem is that the DCMA and EUCD may or may not put people who distribute this software at risk of criminal prosecution and up to to 10 years in jail if convicted. Not many people want to stick their neck out that far.

But there is still a lot of uncertainty since the DCMA has clauses for compatibility; I have asked the Freedom Law Centre for clarification, I got bounced how ever because they want the libdvdcss developers or Canonical to be involved directly.

It may be worth getting the libdvdcss developers involved and asking them to send a letter to the FLC.

[Conrad Knauer (atheoi)]

How about this; libdvdcss2 does not exist in the Ubuntu repositories, so if a user tries to play an encrypted disk in a vanilla Ubuntu install, there should be an error something like this:

---
Ubuntu cannot automatically install the package required to play encrypted DVDs.

Unfortunately, while libdvdcss2 is software libre, it is not in the official software repositories for legal reasons: it may potentially violate anti-decryption laws in some countries (e.g. the DMCA in the United States). To enable decrypted DVD playback if it is legal to do so in your location, please either manually install it or add a repository containing it and try to play the disk again.
---

Now, if a user has already installed libdvdcss2 or added a repository like medibuntu, the user has made a conscious choice to do so and Ubuntu should accept that and just play the disk/install libdvdcss2 and just play the disk :)

[Stephan Rügamer (sruegamer)]

Guys,

every year and now the same discussion.

The problem is not the software itself, but what it is doing.
css2 decryption is illegal in many countries of the world, and therefore it's hard to distribute this piece of software.

It's not because of the license....

Try to use non css2 secured DVDs.

As long there is no legal safteyness for distributors like Canonica, RedHat, Novell/SuSE and others to distribute this and as long there is no legal safteyness for Users, this is a no go.

\sh

[Martin Owens (doctormo)]

> As long there is no legal safteyness for distributors like Canonica,
> RedHat, Novell/SuSE and others to distribute this and as long there is
> no legal safteyness for Users, this is a no go.

Are there? as far as I know there are legal saftyness in the DMCA, but
no one will put any lawyers onto finding out so we're all just
scratching our heads as programmers and businesses without a damn clue
other than a guess. I've even had it said to me that libdvdcss is
legal in the EU which is probably isn't since the EUCD is potentially
worse than the DMCA.

[Milan Bouchet-Valat (nalimilan)]

At least, explaining the issue to the user like Conrad proposes is required: else, you think it's a mere bug. It could be good to provide a link to a page on Ubuntu's website developing the legal issues we encounter and giving links to tutorials about installing it. DVD playback is essential, and silently refusing to read them makes Ubuntu ridiculous for new users.

To go further, installing deCSS libs should be made as easy as possible: just installing a package should be enough, no even needing to use the command line to start install-css.sh after that.

[Stephan Rügamer (sruegamer)]

@Marting,

I don't think it's legal in Europe. But I could be wrong. TBH, but I don't care.
If it's not legal in any country, means, in all countries of the world it has to be legal, my wish is that no one is able to install it with apt-get install libdvdcss2 from Ubuntu.

Further, it's not ubuntus fault, not even marks or anyone else, that the DMCA or the EUCD is blocking this.
You want Linux to play your propietaery encrypted DVDs? Please go to your representative of your EU or your US dictator, and tell him that you are infridged in your freeness to play rightly bought DVDs.

If those people understand what's up with you...this problem will be solved asap.

The other method would be, write letters, not emails, to your local sony, toshiba, phillips, bertelsmann (aka sonopress, which is one of the biggest DVD resellers) etc. distributor and tell him, that you don't buy any DVDs they will sell or produce. If anyone in your country is doing this, libdvdcss2 will be freed like no other piece of software from the ubuntu or debian ftp-master.

Regards,

\sh
PS: There is no need for buying encrypted DVDs.

[Stephan Rügamer (sruegamer)]

every year and now....please pay the lawyer to get a result in this discussion.

Thx,
\sh

[Malte Cornils (malte)]

Since even pointers to libdvdcss2 et al. are murky legal territory, maybe it would be a useful feature to at least detect a DVD's usage of the CSS system and show a note stating legal restrictions and so on (ranging from "Sorry, we can't help you" and "Try an unprotected DVD" to "Petition the EU parliament here: <click>" and "Buy legal DVD player from third-party vendor (Linspire's Click'n'run, ...) <click>").

[Milan Bouchet-Valat (nalimilan)]

Stephan: Please, I agree CSS is bad, I know this is not Ubuntu nor GStreamer's fault, though we have to make it as clear and easy as possible. 1) People always must be made aware of the problems going on - they surely don't know about encrypted DVDs (anyway Windows is working where we aren't here) 2) Some may want to install it, and once a tutorial page explains clearly the legal blur around that (we're not even sure it is illegal), it should be easy to do that without geek knowledge.

So totem is the place to add a dialog explaining that each time a CSS DVD is inserted (assuming GStreamer already tells totem that the problem is decrypt plugin missing).

[Pedro Villavicencio (pedro)]

Thanks for your report, however this isn't the right place where to discuss these kind of issues, please send an email to the ubuntu desktop mailing list with your comments, thanks.

[Jared Blecker (jb7852)]

Under the DMCA its illegal to develop, distribute, or use any tool that can break or bypass an encryption, which the libdvdcss2 library does just that, bypasses the CSS encryption system. Now there are certain exceptions, like security research, and the question is whether or not libdvdcss2 being used to only play back legally purchased DVDs on Linux because no other method exist, is a valid exception. This question can only be answered by passing legislation that modifies the DMCA or having a court decision saying that the libdvdcss2 library is a vaild exception to the DMCA.

For the time being, I believe Ubuntu should handle this issue in a user-friendly but legally safe manner. This is what can be done when a user inserts a DVD with CSS encryption:

Tell the user this disc cannot be played because of the CSS encryption
Tell them that there is a library called libdvdcss2 that can be used to play back their DVD
Tell them this library isn't included in Ubuntu for legal reasons, and that it can be found in third-party repositories

[Martin Owens (doctormo)]

> Under the DMCA its illegal to develop, distribute, or use any tool that
> can break or bypass an encryption, which the libdvdcss2 library does
> just that, bypasses the CSS encryption system. Now there are certain
> exceptions, like security research, and the question is whether or not
> libdvdcss2 being used to only play back legally purchased DVDs on Linux
> because no other method exist, is a valid exception. This question can
> only be answered by passing legislation that modifies the DMCA or having
> a court decision saying that the libdvdcss2 library is a vaild exception
> to the DMCA.

You missed the part describing the compatibility clause in the DMCA
and how libdvdcss may fall under it and how with a be of legal
research we could be sure. So far I take all advice as hot air from
technical people that are not lawyers.

[Pedro Villavicencio (pedro)]

May you please continue the discussion in another place rather than the bug tracker? please move it to a mailing list i pointed you (ubuntu-desktop), thanks.