New players in the game which have signed on in support of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) include those from Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, and the National Collegiate Athletics Association.

With them added to the list, there are now a total of 26 organizations in support of the MPAA and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

"For those who aren't familiar with the case, DeCSS enables DVDs to be decrypted so that they can be played on other DVD players. The CSS algorithm, which DeCSS decrypts, exists to prevent DVDs from being played on 'non-compliant' players. CSS is also what prevents DVDs from being played in foreign countries."

"Imagine not being able to play a CD or read a book from another country. The DMCA makes it completely legal to impose such controls and penalize anyone who attempts to get around them." Is that insane or what? That's what the DeCSS case is essentially about -- control. The MPAA basically wants to control how and where DVDs are played. It doesn't make any sense that we cannot view our DVDs where we want and on whatever equipment we choose. It's all about maximizing their profits.

So why have the NFL, NHL, et al. signed onto the brief filed against 2600? Well, according to the brief, if left "unchecked, such piracy threatens to destroy the legitimate marketplace for works of art, music, film, software, literature and other video programming (including sports programming), and will deter the development and distribution of new works in state-of-the-art digital media." There you have it. Now you know why the sports leagues have taken an interest: Fear of loss of profits.