It looks like a major corporation is willing to test the DMCA waters: Circuit City is offering to rip DVDs (ones you own) to your video player (such as a video iPod).

The stupid part is the fact that we even need this service. If I buy a DVD, I should be able (under Fair Use) to copy that DVD to another device I own. So long as I'm not selling the results, (and I believe that Circuit City should be ok here, because they are ripping things you bring them) any violation would be yours, not theirs. The dicey part is that to rip DVDs, you have to circumvent the copy protection, which is illegal. Looks like test case time to me - I'm sure that the MPAA will go bats. With luck, they'll be sent to the dark place they belong.

File this under "Too good to be true" - I should have looked into it instead of posting from the airport. As Seth says in the comments, it's not happening.