Obama's Gift to British PM Ruined by DVD Zone Restrictions

Jason Mick (Blog)

The DVD zones from around the world are seen here. Many players will not play "out of zone" DVDs as President Barack Obama and Britsh PM Gordon Brown discovered in a humorous botched gifting. Britain is in Zone 2, while the U.S. is in Zone 1. (Source: Flickr)

Here's some classic American movies... psych!

President Barack Obama hasn't just been working hard to right the American automotive ship, he's also been looking to foster better international relations, meeting with PMs and Presidents of many nations. However, on one of those recent meetings he made a humorous technical snafu, that's something most of us can relate to.

Gordon Brown, British Prime Minister, paid President Obama a visit, and as a gracious gesture, President Obama gave him a gift set of 25 classic American movies, including the timeless thriller "Psycho."

Arriving back home, PM Brown settled in to watch "Psycho" only to receive a far greater horror than the movie itself could bring -- none of his DVDs would play, due to zone restrictions. While saddened and shocked, the PM maintains that American and Britain still have a "special partnership".

PM Brown presented President Obama with a working gift, a penholder carved from the timbers of an anti-slavery ship. The ship was the sister ship of the one that was broken up and the timber used to form the current desk at the Oval Office.

While the DVD mistake is no big deal, obviously, it serves a humorous reminder at the frustrations caused by industry that insists on using region coding as a means of fighting piracy. Many argue that such restrictions do little to stop actual pirates, and instead merely hinder cultural exchange, by making it harder to play foreign movies and TV programs.