Ability to copy Blu-ray discs arriving in 2010

One of the primary complaints critics have had regarding the Blu-ray medium is its draconian DRM system, but now there's a little ood news: That is set to loosen up a bit starting in April 2010, as "managed copy" comes to the Blu-ray platform.

In a nutshell, "managed copy" will let Blu-ray disc owners make one copy (and only one copy) of any new Blu-ray disc they purchase.

Managed copy backups will be made at full HD resolution (or lower at the buyer's option) and can be made to a writeable Blu-ray or DVD disc or a Windows Media DRM-compatible portable player or other storage device (including a computer hard drive). The system will involve a call over the Internet to authorize the copy, a process which should be transparent to the consumer (though, knowing Blu-ray, it will probably be incredibly slow).

The system has reportedly been on the drawing board for Blu-ray for years, but only now has the standards consortium behind the platform reached an official agreement on it.

What's more, managed copy isn't an option that Blu-ray discs will have (or, say, a logo you'll have to look for): All discs sold after the first quarter of 2010 will be required to offer managed copy on their movies. (That said, things could always change: There's still some paperwork to finish here. While the AACS, which handles Blu-ray security, has finalized its plans, studios have until December to sign the agreement. Whether they have much of a choice in the matter isn't clear.)

Now for the bad news: Your current Blu-ray player may not support managed copy, so consumers looking to take advantage of the backup system may have to upgrade firmware or, more likely, buy all new equipment. And unlike the content creators, hardware manufacturers won't be required to include managed copy features but will be able to do so as an option at their discretion. Still, the prospect of a standalone Blu-ray player/burner that can make a backup copy without having to be connected to a PC is an enticing possibility... just don't tell me what something like that would cost, please.