DVDs to get chips that prevent copying

It appears that the MPAA haven't learned their lesson yet - in a bid to stop piracy, they're now turning up the copy protection. According to industry reports, new RFID chips could be showing up on DVDs soon which will encode unique identifiers into each DVD sold.

Details are unclear exactly what details will be encoded, but there is talk that these chips could make the MPAA able to follow a specific disc from factory to DVD player - so apparently it contains some fairly identifiably unique information. The goal is that eventually home DVD players will be able to read the chips, refusing to play discs that are copies or not in the right region.

Most of us who are technically savvy will find a million and one ways around this, from just using an older player to using a computer with a ripped copy. So, since it's not going to stop the 'pirates' (Arrrggh, matey!), who is it for? Or are we looking at just another thing to go wrong for law-abiding consumers, that those in the know laugh about?

Either way, the chips will take a bit to get to market. So until they do, tell us about your thoughts on it in our forums.