DVD copy protection emerged in the mid-1990s when Hollywood studios developed the Content Scrambling System (CSS) to prevent illegal copying of digital movies. CSS encrypts video data on DVDs so only licensed players can decrypt and play them. The DVD CCA distributes decryption keys to manufacturers who pay substantial licensing fees to implement this protection in their products.

The CSS system relies on keeping its cryptographic methods and keys secret, which proved problematic. In 1999, 15-year-old Norwegian programmer Jon Johansen created DeCSS, software that could bypass this protection. Though Johansen claimed he merely wanted to watch his purchased DVDs on Linux, the entertainment industry saw it as piracy. Norwegian authorities raided his home and prosecuted him, but he was eventually acquitted.

The CSS crack exposed vulnerabilities in content protection systems. Despite millions of DVD players using CSS, the system remains in place. As a response, industry developed CPPM using the Cryptomeria Cipher, offering stronger protection than CSS. The DeCSS case also established precedents regarding software reverse engineering and free speech protections in digital contexts.