Audio Video News

If you recognize the name Doom9, the lusty hacker forum, you probably know what's coming in the next sentence. Blu-ray has been thoroughly hacked.

Blu-ray depends on the same AACS copy protection used by its vanquished rival, HD DVD, with the addition of a second layer of protection called BD+. AACS was long ago hacked by the Doom9 folks. AACS encryption keys (which are unique for each title) have been routinely posted on Doom9 for both HD DVD and Blu-ray titles.

Now BD+ has fallen as well. The details on Doom9 are a bit thorny though this fellow at The Guardian tries to explain.

Even the interactive features have been hacked by an application called Blu-ray Disc Ripper 1.4.

While hackers sometimes say they operate out of principle, their work also aids pirates, and that's certainly true in this case. Pirated Blu-ray discs are already beginning to appear in China.

Needless to say, we don't condone copyright violation, and we do support the creative community and the industries that foster creative endeavor. But these recent developments further underscore the futility of anti-copying technologies, in case you were in any doubt about that.