FCC turns down MPAA bid for selectable output control

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) wanted the Federal Communications Commission’s permission to use a controversial anti-piracy technique in which the FCC would grant a waiver for blocking selected video outputs.

"I’m not supportive of moving forward with this MPAA proposal at this time," FCC Chair Kevin Martin told Ars Technica.  "If another Commission" wishes to deal with this issue, "they will be able to, obviously, but I’m not supportive of it."

Martin’s term as FCC chairman isn’t officially over until 2011, but it’s likely he’ll resign before then, as the GOP majority in the FCC has dwindled.  The MPAA will now have to wait until President-elect Barack Obama takes over the U.S. presidency later this month before the same issue will be dealt with.

The MPAA hopes to receive FCC approval to essentially work alongside cable TV providers to ensure analog output of pre-DVD release movies — especially in high-definition format — will not be available, unless using the MPAA’s "secure and protected digital outputs."

The MPAA believes analog streams are too insecure, and can have their protection measures easily stripped.

Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal City Studios, Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Brothers jointly filed the request.