Amazon and Warner Brothers legalise robbery

Well, maybe it's not quite legalising robbery, but it's certainly moving one of the darkest arts (torrents) firmly into the mainstream. After years of chasing the internet villains and pirates for making films available to download, it looks like two of the world's biggest brands have decided to join in, instead. KitGuru checks its dark fibre connection is secure before entering.

UltraViolet claims to offer users the ability to download media and enjoy it wherever they are – and on whatever platform they have to hand. Surely not. Wow. Where do they get these far-fetched ideas?

OK, we jest. We have heard of movie downloads. From a friend. We only met them once.

So which merry band of co-conspirators decided that it would be an idea to work with downloads?  Well the list of UltraViolet collaborators is long and distinguished, including companies as diverse as AMD and Intel, Adobe and Microsoft, Best Buy and Blockbuster, T-Mobile and Cisco.

OK< that sounds like nirvana, so what's the catch.

Well, so far, it seems that the all-seeing and reasonable people of the alliance – only want to give you access to the cool downloaded stuff AFTER you buy a disc that you may only use once. Yes, we know, doing their bit for the planet.

Given Amazon's success with the Kindle, it could be that the Warner Brothers deal is a game changer. It could be that this deal will work entirely electronically – without the need for deforestation in order to create disc sleeves etc.

The only thing we know for sure is that Sony Pictures CTO, Mitch Singer, slipped something into an interview at CES. He said that all of the firms in the UltraViolet group would agree a new format for media this year.

KitGuru says: If all of these industry big-wigs get together and agree a new format, then new content can expect the kind of lock down normally only associated with civil rights demonstrations in Syria.

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