Jon Lech Johansen
A digital locksmith who, as a teenager, cracked Hollywood's DVD code and ignited a global debate on digital rights.
Born 1983 (age 43)·Norwegian programmer·Birthday: November 18·Millennials
Biography
Jon Lech Johansen became an accidental folk hero in the digital age before he could legally drive. At 15, living in Norway, he co-wrote DeCSS, a small piece of software that cracked the Content Scramble System (CSS) encryption on DVDs. His motive wasn't piracy but a desire to play legally purchased DVDs on his Linux computer. The act triggered a firestorm, with the Motion Picture Association of America pursuing legal action against him. Johansen's subsequent trial in Norway, where he was ultimately acquitted, turned him into a symbol for the open-source movement and a flashpoint in the battle between copyright control and user freedom. A self-taught programmer who left high school, he later moved to the United States, working on software projects that continued to challenge digital boundaries, from reverse-engineering iTunes formats to co-founding the media company DoubleTwist.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Jon was born in 1983, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jon Was Born
The biggest hits of 1983
#1 Movie
Return of the Jedi
Best Picture
Terms of Endearment
#1 TV Show
60 Minutes
Jon's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1983Born
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1988Started school
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1996Became a teenager
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Could drive
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2001Could vote
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2004Turned 21
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2013Turned 30
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 40
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 43 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-authored the DeCSS program at age 15, decrypting the CSS protection on DVDs.
- Was acquitted of all charges in a high-profile Norwegian court case brought by the DVD Copy Control Association.
- Co-founded the media company DoubleTwist, which created software for syncing media across devices.
- Reverse-engineered the FairPlay digital rights management system used by Apple's iTunes Store.
Did You Know?
His online alias, 'DVD Jon,' stuck as his primary public identifier.
The DeCSS code was famously printed on t-shirts and even etched into a glass bottle as a form of protest.
He was named one of the top 15 innovators of the decade by *Forbes* magazine in 2009.
“I just want to watch my DVDs on the computer I bought with my own money.”
