How to Burn a Copy Protected DVD (read below for my easy solution)

By Rob Boirun
Lead Reviewer for BurnWorld
December 2, 2011

If you are one of the many that are looking for a way to copy your DVD movie collection then this article will explain what info you need to accomplish this task and what software we recommend using to have this done as easily as possible for Windows users. We also have a DVD Copying guide for Mac users.

What exactly is a protected DVD and can you really copy it?

Well really this is an easy answer. A protected DVD is a DVD movie that contains CSS or Content Scrambling System, which is a digital rights management to protect commercial DVD movies. Manufacturers or producers use a CSS key set which is a collective term for authentication key, player key, title key, disc key, second disk key set, and/or encrypted key to protect the disc’s content from being duplicated by unauthorized parties. This is done to prevent casual home users from burning additional copies for their friends. Now, cloning DVD's is nothing new and has been one of the most used reasons for using a DVD burner in households. So in reality, should this be done?

So is it legal to Burn a Copy Protected DVD?

Now this is where it gets tricky. I'll just say this, it is illegal to circumvent the CSS in most countries. Now there are a handful of DeCSS software decrypters available. At the risk of defying the Digital Copyright Act I won't list what titles are available. However, there are constant arguments whether people should be able to do what they want with their DVD media that they have purchased. Since you purchased the movie, should you be able to make a copy of it just because you now own it? This will be debated for years and the overall opinion is that you should be able to make a copy as a backup if it's for personal use only. But know the law in your area before attempting to copy a protected DVD disc. Now if the discs you want to copy are not copy protected then carry on.

Burn protected DVD movies using the right software

Now onto the fun part. I will say that there are ways to copy dvd's and there are easy solutions to do so. The best commercial product to use is:

- 1 Click DVD Copy - this is what I use and it works great, and the name says it all, 1 click. ($59)

This is my easiest recommendation:

Click Here to Get the #1 Recommended Tool to Copy Protected DVD's Today

Step 1: After you download the trial or make the purchase of 1Click and then install it, there is literally 1 step to complete, and that is to insert the DVD you want to copy and click the Start button as seen above. Ok so that's 2 steps if your being technical.

As you can see from my video, the workings of 1Click are very simple. Yes, it really is that easy to copy a protected DVD movie. Watch out Hollywood. Word of warning though, read the copyright warning in front of the movie to make sure you have permission to make a copy. :)

So if your looking to copy a protected DVD know the in's and out's before jumping in. All 3 titles above have been around for years and know what users need when it comes down to copying protected DVD movies.

'Step 2 (optional): Enjoy your movie backup because that's all there is to it. But here is a video showing you how to copy a protected DVD using 1Click DVD Copy.

Is it possible to duplicate a copy protected DVD using freeware?

There are a few free downloadable apps like DVD43, DVD Shrink, and DVD Decrypter but it's important to realize what these free apps lack over their paid counterparts. First off DVD43 and DVD Shrink are no longer being supported and the last updates came in 2009. Secondly if these do work you only have half of the battle completed since they are only DVD decrypters. They do not reauthor or burn to DVD, so you would still need to use a separate burning app.

So is free really better? For the most part no because it involves more work on your part and if a new movie comes out with new copy protection that these don't support then you basically out of luck.

To sum up, while a paid solution is not ideal for your wallet it is more ideal for completing the task of duplicating Protected DVD's both easily and effectively.

Also see our: DVD Copy Software Reviews for full reviews.