Movie giants sue RealNetworks over DVD copying software

US movie studios on Tuesday sued RealNetworks to stop it from distributing software that lets people copy DVDs onto their computers. In a complaint filed in federal court in Los Angeles, the Motion Picture Association of America said RealDVD violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act by circumventing technology that …

[Jeremy]

Bloody hell...

I agree with something Realnetworks have done...

</faint>

Bet it's still hideous phone-home bloatware though!

[Anonymous Coward]

lol

what retard would pay money to get software to rip a DVD?

Not only pay money to rip a DVD but pay money to get added DRM put on your ripped DVD, how thick are some people?

[Andy Taylor]

What's the point?

When there are some brilliant free apps out there - Handbrake for the Mac for example.

[Simon]

Buffering...

Buffering... Buffering... Buffering...

*Gah*

[Robert Moore]

Pay for Real?

I can't imagine paying for anything Real has to offer.

If they start writing me some LARGE cheques I could be convinced to install their crapware on mt spare computer.

[Nick]

Oh well.

Couldn't happen to a nicer company.

[Neoc]

I succombed

After:

1) the endless "you are a potential thief" ads (which you cannot skip),

2) the long main-menu intros (which you cannot skip),

3) the addition of advertising for other movies before said main-menu intro,

I finally gave up and am ripping all of my DVDs to H264 and storing them on my HTPC. As a bonus, it means I won't have to look for a specific DVD (now where did I put it?) if I want to watch a movie.

MPAA, your paranoia and incessant blather has worked against you in my case.

[Anonymous Coward]

DVD shrink ...

... it's free and isn't DRMed up the wazzoo!

[Mark]

Um...

Did they really think this would work? Not only would the movie studio lawyers be all over this in a flash, but once word got around about the additional DRM, this was already DOA.

[Anonymous Coward]

RealNetworks' business strategy

1. Sell stuff made by rich, powerful friends.

2. Punch friends in nose.

3. Encourage everyone else to punch them as well.

4. Sue friends for fist injuries incurred.

5. ???

6. Profit!

[Luna Tick]

lol

Cripple Fight!

[Moss Icely Spaceport]

Other products that support illegal actions

- Guns

- Cars

- Alcohol

- Prescription drugs

- Knives

- Baseball bats

Everyone should sue!!!!

[Dan]

Pretty predictable

Unless it's a freeware program hosted outside the US or from a company registered in the Caribbean any software of this kind is not going to last a week.

[Joe K]

Huh??

Is it 1999 again?

[Vladimir Plouzhnikov]

Yes, MPAA!

Go ahead, sue those bastards! How dare they to charge money for something you can get for free on the internets!

[Anonymous Coward]

@Jeremy

"Bet it's still hideous phone-home bloatware though!"

did you forget the Adware?

Interesting to see RN sticking it to the ASS aswell... I didn't see that coming....

The Legal case could set some interesting precidents for others to do it properly. which would be nice! Im glad about that, best thing RN has done for anyone ever! and at no cost to me either...

[Toastan Buttar]

Best kept secret...

Ubuntu + Libdvdcss + K9copy + Brasero = £0.00

[Kane]

Eh?

"In the late 1990s, the Recording Industry Association of America sued the makers of the Rio MP3 player because it encouraged people to pirate copyrighted music."

No.

No No No No No.

It should read:

"In the late 1990s, the Recording Industry Ass. of America sued the makers of the Rio MP3 player because it encouraged people to pirate copyrighted music."

Rectify the matter or I shall be removing El Reg from my bookmarks....

[Anonymous Coward]

Who uses DVD's anymore?

Why bother with DVD's when you have full access to most movies at 720p via BitTorrent?????

[Anonymous Coward]

Are the MPAA running out of people to try and nail??

I think most people are missing the point here. I would rather RN take on the MPAA than my <insert name here> provider of ripping software.

Its about time the MPAA got some of their own medicine. If they win (god forbid) then what next, the sellers of blank DVD's , operating system sellers, PC manufacturers...

Where does the MPAA's incessant quest to look like a bunch of idiots stop.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Moss Icely Spaceport

You forgot:

Brains

Hands

Feet

Genitals

Anyway, I'm hoping the judge just sits there a moment and then goes: Well, since the DMCA is obviously wrong, I'm throwing this out of here and dismissing the suit.

Paris, 'cuz we want her without the suit, too.

[A J Stiles]

k3b for the win

K3B can, with the right extensions, turn any DVD for any region into a bootable CD with its own playing software, which you can then shove into almost any x86-based computer and watch. And it costs nothing.

[kain preacher]

@dan

Your wrong, see the ruling on the rio case, then see Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc. Also in the use you have the right to make a back up for personal use