Every disc I own is on my server now, and licensing changes can't take them back

Published Sep 19, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT Based in rural Minnesota, Brian Burgess worked in IT for 10 years before finding his passion for writing about consumer technology. Brian earned his degree in computer and network technology in 2000. He held various IT positions, including help desk support, router installations for IBM, database administration, and other associate network administration roles. He's been a personal technology journalist for 18 years and has written thousands of articles about Microsoft products and services, Android, iOS, streaming, and more. He has written for notable tech sites including XDA, InformationWeek, How-To Geek, Byte, groovyPost, and others. When he is away from the keyboard, you will hear him playing guitar, working outdoors, and watching Star Trek. For years, ripping physical media you own for personal backup has existed in a legal "gray area." However, I buy physical discs and back them up to MKV files to add to my media library for Jellyfin and Plex servers in a self-hosted media setup. Then I can enjoy my physical media titles on virtually any device I want using the official Jellyfin apps or third-party alternative clients. Since I own the media, I should be able to do what I want with it as long as I'm not putting it on file-sharing sites where others can essentially steal the contents of my movies and concerts on DVD, Blu-ray, or music on CDs. Laws and licensing rules for ripping and backing up discs to store on a NAS or server vary by region. Check local copyright laws before ripping your physical discs to your media library. Server platform language Server platform licensing can change on a dime Owning a physical movie disc doesn't override copyright law, nor does it make Plex and Jellyfin immune to software and licensing changes. In fact, ripping a copy of a UHD 4K Blu-ray with LibreDrive and MakeMKV bends DMCA anti-circumvention rules in the United States. It bypasses the disc's AACS2 copy-protection system, which is separate from whether a personal backup copy may infringe copyright rules. If I own a disc, I should be able to make a copy and put it on my server for personal viewing consumption. But a potentially worse licensing challenge is with self-hosted media platforms. Instead of worrying about ripping discs, the more pressing issue is your Plex or Jellyfin infrastructure. For example, Plex's glaring changes include raising its prices for paywalled features and requiring things like Remote Viewing to have a Plex Pass, or forcing each remote viewer to have a Remote Watch Pass. Also, Plex's licensing terms explicitly say it can change how the service works and what features it charges for. Jellyfin users should keep in mind that it's an open-source project with a volunteer-driven team. The GPL-licensed code means no vendor can turn off the remote watch feature or turn it into a paid app or plugin. There is also the risk that every client app or plugin could stop development, become corporatized, and switch to a payment-based system. Of course, the other argument is that it's an open-source community, and if something got lost in the shuffle, something different and often better would pop up. But the playback path isn't The Blu-ray ripping argument aside, my files are fine, since I own the media. However, changes to self-hosted software platforms are concerning. Whatever licensing changes the movie studios make, they don't affect the MKV file on my NAS or server. But Plex has already demonstrated how it can do what it wants. Storing my movies and shows locally protects them from unpredictable licensing, but doesn't make all parts of my setup permanent. Plex can still change features, plans, and alter other services. I tend to treat Plex as a useful front end, but not the owner of my library. Jellyfin offers more insurance. It can't promise every app, plugin, device, or OS will work forever. But I can keep running a working version, look to the community forks of the server or clients, and keep the files on my own. The streaming libraries may change, or the way I view my content might be different, but there is usually another way to enjoy my media library out there. In fact, I find new apps and plugins weekly that enhance the experience. If Plex and Jellyfin vanished I still have my media collection Let's just say the unthinkable happened: I installed an update for my self-hosted media platform, and it put my ripped MKVs behind a paywall or, worse, deleted them. I would be irked, sure. However, since I own all the movies and shows and have the original physical discs, I have nothing to worry about. I can re-rip them, store them somewhere safe, and use VLC or Kodi to view them via UPnP/DLNA or an SMB share. Or I could even watch my UHD 4K discs the way they're meant to be seen — on a Blu-ray player. If Plex, Jellyfin, and Emby disappeared tomorrow, I would still enjoy my movies, TV shows, and CD collection in other ways. My doomsday prediction has a slim-to-none chance of happening, but it's good to be prepared. So even if some crazy licensing policy goes into effect, the media-file police won't have a chance of getting my media back. My backed-up media is on my server to stay I bought the physical media that resides on my server, and no licensing change can take it back. The self-hosted streaming platforms will come and go, but I'm not going to stop streaming my own local media if they start charging exorbitant fees or shut down overnight. Another solution will come up. Even if Plex or Jellyfin's convenience vanishes, I can still view my content when I want, on whichever device I choose.