New technology threatens Hollywood

Movie industry executives expressed growing concerns over new technology that lets PC users download and store high-quality digital movies on a single CD.

Dubbed DivX (unrelated to the abandoned DVD alternative of the same name), the technology uses a program called DeCSS, which breaks the encryption code designed to prevent DVD files from being copied, and a re-written version of Microsoft's MPEG-4 software, enabling users to download full-length movies in an hour or two, using only 10 to 20 percent of the storage space required just six months ago.

The full story is located at www.zdnn.com.