[mythtv] [PATCH] Enable recording of encrypted channels without decrypting them first.

[Gavin Hurlbut]

On Thu, Jul 15, 2010 at 12:41 AM, James Courtier-Dutton <
james.dutton at gmail.com> wrote:

> I do not live in the USA so I might not understand your laws.
> Currently, myth uses a CAM to decrypt the DVB stream and then records
> it in its decrypted form.
> How is storing it in its encrypted form and then decrypting it later
> suddenly break some DMCA law?
> If you could point me to the paragraph in the DMCA law that it breaks,
> that would be of interest to me.


The problem lies in that we would not be using the "proper" device to
decrypt.  The DMCA has a portion that makes bypassing encryption illegal,
including using unauthorized decryption devices.  This is why the author of
the DVD decryption libraries was arrested in the USA at one point (even
though he doesn't live here).

If you store it encrypted, and later decrypt it via the CAM provided by the
broadcaster/cable company, then sure, all is fine.  The issue with that is:
the providers here in the USA do not provide CAMs (there may be a few
exceptions), and the only authorized devices are the devices that they
provide.  This means the decryption must be done in their device (usually a
STB).  Trying to bypass that control by decrypting in our software would put
us at significant legal risk.

As for the precise paragraph, I don't have the time to go hunting, and I'm
not a lawyer, but just be aware...   There are restrictions in place.  This
is also why MythTV does not directly decrypt DVDs or BluRay disks, to my
knowledge.
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