May
26
Verdict in RealDVD Case Expected Soon
The on-going battle between RealDVD and Hollywood is almost over. Last Thursday, federal judge Marilyn Patel heard the closing arguments from RealDVD, as well as lawyers from the MPAA and the 7 major movie studios that brought the case against RealNetworks. She is expected to give her ruling at any time.
Back in September, the sale of RealDVD software was halted when this case was filed against RealNetworks. RealDVD is a $30 program that allows users to play DVD’s and copy them to their hard drives for a digital backup of the physical DVD. Major movie studios feel that this software could be misused to make illegal copies of DVD’s, so they blocked the sale of the software.
The funny thing about this whole case is the fact that RealDVD is similar to dozens of other software programs on the market right now that let you copy and save DVD’s for personal use. I guess the movie industry had to pick 0n somebody to get the ball rolling in the area of blocking personal freedoms and fair use of copyrighted content. The movie studios would benefit enormously if a consumer is forced to spend another $20 on a fresh copy of a DVD because they scratched their original copy.
I thought this argument was already settled. The music industry gave up this fight a long time ago, and as a result consumers are free to copy CD’s to their iPods and make back up copies on their hard drives. This may be the only reason people still buy CD’s; to have a physical backup of their digital music. The movie studios should learn from this and realize that consumers will still buy their movies, even though they will not be tied to a piece of physical media.
It’s unfortunate that this lawsuit only singles out RealDVD. This case has been a major blow to the sales of their new software. However, even if RealNetworks loses this case, the movie industry will have done nothing to prevent the copying of DVD’s.
A quick Google search for “dvd ripper” or “copy dvd” results in links to a large variety of free software programs that will help you rip any DVD, no matter how good the security encryption is. I doubt any serious DVD pirate would fork out $30 for a ripper like RealDVD when he could get the same functionality in a free, open source program. RealDVD is marketed at legitimate users that want to play their purchased DVD’s on their personal computer, without the need to carry around a bunch of movies on discs.
Open source software developers and hackers love the challenge of breaking the latest security measures aimed at stopping illegal disc copying. For this very reason, no DVD security system will ever work. The movie studios are always on the defensive in this battle, which cannot possibly result in a victory for them. If a software developer is smart enough to come up with a new security system, you can bet someone out there is smart enough to break it.
If the movie industry wins this case, it will be a major blow to your personal rights regarding the use of purchased digital media. Other companies that make similar software, like Nero, will also have to fear a lawsuit. This will only further push the DVD copying industry underground, and it will not stop a single DVD from being copied by users that wish to do so. It is just too easy to get around copy protections on DVD’s.
The time is coming, in the very near future, when most people will not buy physical media to watch movies. iTunes already revolutionized the music industry, and similar movie download and streaming services will do the same for the movie industry. They need to embrace this change, and give consumers the freedom to enjoy movies in whatever form they choose. There should be no law stating that I cannot copy a movie that I purchased from a DVD to my iPhone.
To stay current with the latest news surrounding this case, bookmark the RealDVD litigation page. I am definitely looking forward to the verdict in this case and discussing its future ramifications.
Via Yahoo! Tech.
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