The news
Budget software house Serif is the latest company to make a big splash about a program for copying DVDs which, when you look at the small print, can't actually copy the very DVDs most people are very likely to want to - those that are encrypted or otherwise copy-protected.
For a knock-down (but time-limited) £9.95 (inc VAT but excluding £3 P&P), Serif has been offering X-OOM Movie Clone 3, an app that's been sold by its maker X-OOM for over two years, and which is being added to Serif's Extra range of cheapie bought-in products for £15 (inc VAT, ex P&P).
In a recent emailed newsletter, Serif said about the product it's been trying to rush people into buying,
Would you like to take
control of your favourite DVD movies? Perhaps you'd like to
back up your home movies, or edit them down to share with your
friends? Or do you simply want to make speedy back-ups of
your favourite films?
Then you need X-OOM Movie Clone 3. This fantastic software allows you to save your DVD movie backups onto blank DVDs/CDs or computer hard disk while retaining original quality. Copy complete, original DVDs, just your favourite scenes, or remove extras you don't want. Whatever you copy, you'll be thrilled with the backup speed and quality of X-OOM Movie Clone 3.
Then you need X-OOM Movie Clone 3. This fantastic software allows you to save your DVD movie backups onto blank DVDs/CDs or computer hard disk while retaining original quality. Copy complete, original DVDs, just your favourite scenes, or remove extras you don't want. Whatever you copy, you'll be thrilled with the backup speed and quality of X-OOM Movie Clone 3.
Just the job, then, you'd think, for backing up your most precious DVDs. Or, indeed, a mate's - so that the backups can be kept off-site for added security. Cough!
But, no. When you look at the small print tucked away at the end, what you see are these two mealy-mouthed paras (and similar wording is seen in any number of other apps that pretend to let you copy commercial DVDs),
NB. Please note that since local law or end-user agreements may
prohibit copying content of a CD/DVD, this software will not directly
backup encrypted or copy-protected DVDs, and is not to be used for
unauthorised duplication of copyrighted materials in any way. If in
doubt, please check with the copyright owner pf the original CD/DVD to
make sure that copying is permissible. Violations of copyright or other
intellectual property rights are liable to claims for damages and
criminal prosecution.
Note: Movies in the public domain, movie trailers, certain commercial DVDs, your own home movies and content recorded on a domestic DVD are typically not encrypted.
Note: Movies in the public domain, movie trailers, certain commercial DVDs, your own home movies and content recorded on a domestic DVD are typically not encrypted.
Can't read 'em?
Well, here they are at a more normal size (with our added emboldening),
NB. Please note that since
local law or end-user agreements may prohibit copying content of a
CD/DVD, this software
will not directly backup encrypted or copy-protected DVDs,
and is not to be used for unauthorised duplication of copyrighted
materials in any way. If in doubt, please check with the copyright
owner pf the original CD/DVD to make sure that copying is permissible.
Violations of copyright or other intellectual property rights are
liable to claims for damages and criminal prosecution.
Note: Movies in the public domain, movie trailers, certain commercial DVDs, your own home movies and content recorded on a domestic DVD are typically not encrypted.
Note: Movies in the public domain, movie trailers, certain commercial DVDs, your own home movies and content recorded on a domestic DVD are typically not encrypted.
Although the app might let you make copies of cracked DVDs, it clearly won't let you back up DVDs that haven't had protection removed.
Yet, truth to tell, those are probably just what people are likely to want to copy and what, we think, Serif, X-OOM and a whole lot of others seem to be trying to kid the public into thinking they can copy with the apps that they sell.
Not so? Well, who, actually needs or wants to copy DVDs containing "movies in the public domain" or "movie trailers" or "certain [non-copy-protected] commercial DVDs"?
That's right - probably very few people indeed.
And who do you imagine might need to buy a dedicated movie-cloning program to copy "content recorded on a domestic DVD [player]" or their "own home movies" (which, we'd presume, folk will be editing with appropriate software that can burn DVDs already)?
Ditto.
What we find particularly galling is that Serif and X-OOM - and all the rest of the many companies who play this marketing game - are happy to sell apps that will let you copy most commercial DVDs on the assumption (nod, nod, wink, wink) that you'll already have discovered DVD-cracking software, such as the formidable - and totally free - DVD Decrypter.
Making things worse, we know that when you pair DVD Decrypter with another little easy-to-use, free-to-download tool, DVDShrink, it's possible even to copy onto 4.3GB blanks most extra-long commercial DVDs that would otherwise require the use of a new-gen DVD writer able to handle 8.5GB dual-layer blanks - and also to carry out the final burn without using any further software.
So, even though X-OOM Movie Clone 3 was going out for just £9.95, it is in our view far less use even than a chocolate teapot, which at least has the merit of being edible and not replaceable by something you can download for free.
You might think this over the top but the way that such apps are being sold seems to us not unlike the way that some firms sell porn that turns out to be less explicit than promised.
The assumption is that because buyers want to do something that's frowned upon, they will be too embarassed to ask for their money back - and we think that may be so even though Serif offers a 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee.
Okay, rant-mode... OFF!
Check out Serif's newsletter on page two and share your take on this and other non-copying copying programs in this thread in the HEXUS.lifestyle forum.
HEXUS.links
HEXUS.community :: discussion thread about this articleHEXUS.lifestyle.headline :: Serif offers up two low-cost software bundles
External.links
Serif - home pageX-OOM - Movie Clone 3 home page
X-OOM - home page
HEXUS Right2Reply
Meg Sharp, Serif's PR Coordinator, today sent us the following response to this article:Thank you for raising your
concerns about Serif’s marketing of X-oom Movie Clone 3.
Serif sources third party products from reputable manufacturers, such
as X-oom, that it feels will be of interest to its customers. X-oom
Movie Clone 3 fits into our portfolio of products well, as users of our
digital video editing application, MoviePlus, may wish to backup their
home movies, should their original files be lost for any reason.
It is not Serif’s intention to mislead its customers. In fact, we have included additional information regarding copyright and intellectual property restrictions, that isn’t displayed on the websites of either the manufacturer or other leading retailers. However, we certainly take on board all feedback about how we can improve our customer communications.
It is not Serif’s intention to mislead its customers. In fact, we have included additional information regarding copyright and intellectual property restrictions, that isn’t displayed on the websites of either the manufacturer or other leading retailers. However, we certainly take on board all feedback about how we can improve our customer communications.
