AnyDVD

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AnyDVD / AnyDVD HD
Basic data

developer SlySoft / RedFox
Publishing year 2003
Current  version 8.3.8.0
( August 2, 2019 )
operating system Microsoft Windows
category program
License End User License Agreement
German speaking Yes
redfox.bz
Excerpt from a DVD analysis, here using the example of the DVD Mr. & Mrs. Smith, which is controversial because of restrictive copy protection methods

AnyDVD is software for the Windows operating system . Among other things, it frees video DVDs from copy protection mechanisms such as ARccOS or Macrovision , regional codes and other usage restrictions. Further capabilities of the program are the automatic speed reduction of DVD drives after inserting a video DVD for the purpose of noise reduction, the semi-transparent display of subtitles, the conversion of forced subtitles into optional subtitles and the changing of the frame rate depending on the video standard ( PAL or NTSC ) of an inserted medium . The program can also automatically skip upstream trailers and information on a medium and optionally jump directly to the navigation menu or to the main film.

AnyDVD was developed by Antigua and Barbuda- based SlySoft until February 2016 . On February 24, 2016, Slysoft announced that it would discontinue development and distribution of the program for legal reasons. The company has been in litigation with license administrator AACS LA for many years. Furthermore, at the beginning of February 2016, he had submitted an application to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to put Antigua and Barbuda, the headquarters of Slysoft, on the Copyright Priority Watch List . However, Slysoft did not provide precise reasons for the cessation of activities.

Subsequently, the company RedFox (named after the program logo) based in Belize took over the further development of the software. Since March 2016, the program has been available again in various successor versions on the RedFox site, the first version 7.6.9.0 (02/16), a 21-day test phase for non-registered users, but without access to the online database was. In version 7.6.9.1 (03/16), on the other hand, the test phase option was omitted, instead access to the online database was possible again, but only for holders of a valid AnyDVD-HD license.

As a result, RedFox has completely stopped selling AnyDVD software and only provides AnyDVD HD to buyers for download, whereby version 7.6.9.5 is the last program version that can still be used with a Slysoft license - for all subsequent program versions a new RedFox AnyDVD-HD license can be purchased.

description

The program works as a device driver ( filter driver ) in the background and removes any existing copy protection from a video DVD before the signal is transferred to the playback or processing software. The operating system recognizes the video as unprotected and enables other applications to use it accordingly. Since version 6.1.2.3, which appeared in February 2007, the program has also been offered with an optional, chargeable extension called AnyDVD HD . This also makes it possible to bypass the HDCP or AACS copy protection of HD DVDs . Support for Blu-ray Discs was upgraded at the beginning of March 2007 with version 6.1.3.0. From version 6.1.8.4, AnyDVD has a so-called AI module, whereby an artificial intelligence in the software independently analyzes the copy protection and decides how it is to be bypassed. With the release of version 6.4.0.0, AnyDVD HD was the first and, for over a year, the only program that could completely bypass the Blu-ray protection mechanism BD + . A later modified version of BD + can be bypassed from version 6.5.0.2, which was released at the end of 2008.

From version 7.0.0.0 onwards, AnyDVD HD can create a so-called speed menu when a Blu-ray disc is inserted , which instead of the regular menu is displayed immediately (without any preceding trailers etc.) and automatically generated from the chapter information contained on the disc. This menu can be used to start the main film, a specific chapter or any track on the disc directly. AnyDVD HD supports the integration of this special menu into a copy by passing the changed menu information on to the copying application.

With version 7.1.6.0 the possibility was introduced to deactivate the copy protection Cinavia, based on a digital watermark woven into the soundtrack, when playing on supporting playback software. The protection itself is currently not removed, so playing a copy created with AnyDVD HD on a hardware player with Cinavia support is not possible. If AnyDVD HD is active on the playing system, the watermark is falsified in such a way that the playback software no longer recognizes it and the soundtrack is not muted after approx. 20 minutes.

AnyDVD also makes it possible to bypass the copy protection of some audio CDs - with most audio CDs, however, the effectiveness of the copy protection depends solely on the CD or DVD drive used or on whether the automatic playback of any programs on the media is possible is suppressed.

Since April 2015, AnyDVD HD in combination with CloneBD has been able to bypass Cinavia completely with loss of quality.

Litigation

The sweeping statement that is often heard that the program itself is prohibited does not correspond to the facts. In many European countries, including Germany and Austria, the program may not be advertised, sold or lent, but possession itself is not punishable in Germany, among others. Use is punishable as long as a technical protective device is circumvented and this is not exclusively for your own private use.

The Heise-Verlag , which had placed a hyperlink to the AnyDVD developer website in its news portal heise online on January 19, 2005 , was sued by several companies in the music industry and sentenced by the Munich District Court I to remove the link. This judgment was confirmed by the Munich Higher Regional Court on July 28, 2005. Heise-Verlag then lodged a complaint with the Federal Constitutional Court for a violation of the freedom of the press . After their rejection for formal reasons, the publisher initiated the main proceedings. With its judgment of November 14, 2007 (21 O 6742/07), the Munich Regional Court I once again confirmed the legal opinion it had already defended in the interim legal protection proceedings. The Munich Higher Regional Court rejected the appeal on October 23, 2008 (29 U 5696/07). According to the court, the encroachment on freedom of the media (Article 5, Paragraph 1, Clause 2 of the Basic Law ), which consisted of the fact that Heise-Verlag was prohibited from setting hyperlinks, was justified by Section 95a, Paragraph 3 of the Copyright Act and the principles of participant liability . The judges justify this with the fact that the defendant Heise-Verlag was aware of the illegality of AnyDVD's website when the links were set.

On October 14, 2010, after the appeal proceedings, the Federal Court of Justice overturned the judgment of the Munich Higher Regional Court and dismissed the music industry's complaint in full. In the introduction, the Senate made it clear that the specific function of linking had to be assessed, since linking was generally permissible as a means of reporting. Attaching the link as a footnote-equivalent option for pure information acquisition speaks for its admissibility. The judgment is final, the reasons for the judgment were presented on April 19, 2011. A constitutional complaint by the music industry aimed at reviewing the BGH ruling was not accepted for decision by resolution of December 15, 2011. In the incontestable reasons for the rejection, the Federal Constitutional Court reaffirmed the view of the Federal Court of Justice.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ forum.redfox.bz . August 2, 2019 (accessed September 8, 2019).
  2. ↑ SlySoft Closed :-(. February 24, 2016, accessed on August 8, 2018 (English).
  3. ↑ Blu-ray cracker AnyDVD: Slysoft domain is offline . February 24, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  4. ↑ Press release from March 19, 2008: AnyDVD HD now with BD + support ( Memento from December 30, 2008 on WebCite ) (English)
  5. ↑ heise online: SlySoft allegedly cracks additional Blu-ray protection mechanism BD + , March 19, 2008
  6. ↑ Press release of December 29, 2008: SlySoft defeats Blu-ray's BD + DRM scheme again ( Memento of December 30, 2008 on WebCite ) (English)
  7. ↑ golem.de: Slysoft tricks BD + again with AnyDVD HD , December 29, 2008
  8. ↑ http://www.myce.com/news/slysoft-removes-cinavia-signal-from-blu-ray-movies-with-anydvd-hd-and-clonebd-combination-75695/
  9. ↑ § 95a of the Copyright Act in Germany
  10. ↑ Austrian Copyright Act § 90c
  11. ↑ Section 108b of the Copyright Act in Germany
  12. ↑ Austrian Copyright Act § 42 Paragraph 4
  13. ↑ heise online: AnyDVD overcomes copy protection of "Un-DVDs" , January 19, 2005
  14. ^ Judgment of the Munich Regional Court I dated November 14, 2007
  15. ^ Constitutional complaint from Heise Zeitschriften Verlag. (PDF, 8.7 MB) In: Heise Online . September 12, 2005, accessed on August 8, 2018 (German).
  16. ↑ heise online: Heise vs. Music industry: Federal Court of Justice rejects link ban , October 15, 2010
  17. ↑ Justification for the BGH judgment of October 14, 2010, file number I ZR 191/08
  18. ↑ heise online: Music industry fails with constitutional complaint against the Heise judgment
  19. ↑ Justification for the decision of the BVerfG, file number 1 BvR 1248/11