[LINK] Region Locked DVD Drives Illegal?

[Brendan Scott]

Deus Ex Machina wrote:
>>> It used to be you could re-burn the ROM in the drive to accept any
>>> region, but alas that doesn't look possible now.
> 
> the last burner I bought cost $60, you buy 2. one for zone 1, and one for zone 4.  problem solved.

This solution was described by the House of Reps Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs in the following terms (at para 2.134 of their report):

"The Committee believes it is ludicrous to envisage a situation where an individual's only option to use legally acquired genuine non-zone 4 DVDs will be to purchase a DVD player tuned to each of the other regions, rather than have the ability to modify a DVD player to access all regions."


The question the High Court considered in Stevens v Sony was whether the region coding on the Sony playstation was a technological protection measure.  They didn't find that it wasn't, only that Sony hadn't proved that it was (in respect of one of the claims that Sony made they found that insufficient evidence was led) and therefore Mr Stevens was not found to be in breach of the anti-access provisions in the Act.  They didn't decide whether or not region coding was illegal, but I am not aware of anyone having seriously suggested that it is.  

Whether modifying/using modified players will be banned come 1 January next year is the $64 question.  The first draft of the legislation should be released in a few weeks.   

Brendan