The media makers have chosen the formats that are so easily copied in pristine quality, and that make it impossible to protect from copying. As quickly as new protection methods are developed, they are compromised.
The media makers' reaction to those facts is to take away MY ability, and YOUR ability, to protect an investment in media by making backup copies. I mean, if my DVD of 'Mrs. Miniver' is damaged and thereby become unusable, my only solution is to buy a full price replacement. I should be allowed to make a backup copy, but that is a violation of DMCA.
That's wrong, and it has little to do with protecting the media makers from pirates. And it's already illegal to pirate media. Increase enforcement of those laws without making me into a criminal for simply protecting my investment in media.
But don't get me started on this. I could type and post all night. ;-)
No different than a 20 dollar bill. If something happens to it you're screwed, and you better not have a backup of it. Just take good care of such items, keep them in safe places, and insure them however possible. I've got a couple hundred DVD's and only ever had one bad one. I took it back to where I bought it, without a receipt, but since they could still scan the barcode they let me exchange it for another. I realize that requires a willing vendor, with identical product in stock, but the point is I've got hundreds and never had a single unresolvable problem.