TVMyPod could provide the first major copyright test case in mobile video.

January 20, 2006

The rapidly emerging world of mobile video could have its first copyright test case in TVMyPod, a tiny startup that preloads DVDs of movies, TV shows, and music concerts on brand new video iPods.

The company said Thursday that it plans to offer a new service, which would save consumers the time it takes to convert DVDs to the iTunes format.

The process, according to TVMyPod, takes about two hours to transfer six half-hour television episodes or one movie.

A customer picks which iPod he or she wants, then selects the movies to be loaded on the iPod. Then the company loads the movies onto the iPod and ships the iPod in its original packaging along with the DVDs.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 prohibits the making or selling of devices or services used to circumvent technological measures that prevent copying of protected material. DVDs come equipped with measures designed to protect the material from being copied.

The Somerville, Massachusetts-based company’s founder told Reuters that his company’s process does not involve decryption and that moving content from DVDs to iPods is a one-way transfer.

The founder, Vijay Raghavan, also told the publication that since the purchaser gets both the original and the copy, the process is legal under the fair use provisions of the U.S. Copyright Act.

The company does not yet charge for its services. Customers pay for the iPod and the movies at what company executives call very competitive prices.

Mr. Raghavan said TVMyPod will set prices when it rolls out its next offerings, which will include consumers sending in their own iPods, and possibly a subscription service to keep the content refreshed.