Software available right now from the Microsoft Store claims to allow Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, Disney+ subscribers and more to download movies and TV shows to their own machines, as a permanent DRM-free copy. In itself this raises legal issues but buried away in the software’s fine print is something that all prospective users should know about.

Long before the advent of legitimate online video streaming services, torrent sites and similar platforms allowed users to download and keep copies of movies and TV shows.

Building a local video library from unlicensed sources has its attractions. Even if we leave cost out of the equation, these copies come in convenient formats that will play on any device, play over a network, and can be organized to create a Netflix-type experience using legal tools such as Plex. They can also be transported from location to location and even shared among friends.

Services like Netflix have sought to mimic some of these benefits by allowing content to be played on most devices and even downloaded for offline viewing. However, the key benefits enjoyed by pirates, such as maintaining permanent access to copiable DRM-free files, represent a threat to the subscription streaming model.

The rest of this article can be read on TorrentFreak.com

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