Variety: MPAA can't even sell its tech partners on complex analog hole crippleware

From Variety:

By DAVID S. COHEN 

The Hollywood Post Alliance Tech Retreat isn't usually a hubbub of controversy. But the MPAA's Brad Hunt got a testy reception Feb. 22 when he gave a half-hour talk on the movie industry's plans for digital content protection in next-generation home entertainment hardware.

The problem is the "analog hole": Since many TVs, even hi-def sets, aren't digital, next-generation players need to be able to send out an analog signal. But it's fairly easy to record that signal onto pirated disks nearly as good as the hi-def original -- and of better quality than today's DVDs.

For content owners counting on selling their libraries all over again on hi-def DVD, that's a mighty large hole. So they've insisted on a slew of complex copy-protection schemes.

The industry hopes those schemes will be easy for consumers to use. But when Hunt took questions from the audience, it was clear they were skeptical.

One questioner asked who would be responsible for the extensive consumer education needed. Hunt's answer -- that he hoped retailers would do it -- drew dubious groans.

The final question summed up the problem: "This is a room full of people whose living depends on this working. You're getting pushback to the point of hostility. If you can't sell this to us, how are you going to sell it to the target 16-45 demographic?"

Hunt said the marketplace would ultimately sort it out.

As Cory often says, the marketplace doesn't want crippled technology and anti-consumer restrictions. Just look at the Sony BMG Rootkit debacle.  So what does Hunt really mean? More lawsuits and government tech-mandates? More content cartel "licensing societies" that limit innovation? I suspect the MPAA's "marketplace" solution will end up looking a lot more communist than competitive.