RealDVD copying software dies in $4.5-million settlement

A year-and-a-half after it first tried to sell an application allowing users to copy DVDs onto a computer hard drive, Real Networks is paying the major studios $4.5 million to end the legal headache it caused.

The Seattle-based digital media company has also agreed to a permanent injunction barring it from selling the RealDVD software.

U.S. District Court Judge Marilyn Patel ruled in favor of Hollywood plaintiffs last August, issuing a preliminary injunction barring the sale of RealDVD. About 2,700 people bought the application, as the studios and the DVD Copy Control Assn., which manages the anti-copying software on DVDs, won a temporary restraining order halting sales just four days after it debuted in September 2008.

Before this week's settlement was reached, RealNetworks had been planning to appeal the preliminary injunction.

Illegal software applications that allow users to copy movies off of DVDs onto computers are plentiful on the Web. Real attempted to make the market legitimate and argued, unsuccessfully, that it was simply allowing its consumers to exercise a "fair use" right to make backup copies of movies they own. The studios were concerned that it would be too easy for people to copy DVDs that they had rented or borrowed.

"We will continue to vigorously pursue companies that attempt to bring these illegal circumvention products and devices to market," Daniel Mandil, chief content protection officer of the Motion Picture Assn. of America, said in a statement.

"We are pleased to put this litigation behind us," Real Networks' acting chief executive Bob Kimball said in a statement. "I hope that in the future we can find mutually beneficial ways to use Real technology to bring Hollywood's great work to consumers."

--Ben Fritz

Comments

[bob]

So fair use is dead? Long live the studios. WTF.

[Malakie]

And it is exactly this heavy handed crap that pushes many people like me the wrong way. I have not bought a single DVD, music CD nor gone to a movie for a very long time. And I know of others just like me. Why? Because the heavy handed crap the movie and music industry pulls.

I have no problem buying things from independent labels where the money goes directly to the artists. BUT I refuse to support the lazy greedy lawyers and suits of the major studios.

I wish some one in the media world would do a story about how the industry is using technology to force people to their will. Did you know that many DVD's and CD's are created PURPOSELY to slowly degenerate or loose their ability to be used over time? They can create them so they last for hundreds of years. But what no one seems to pay attention to is they are purposely doing this so that you are forced to buy new ones after only a few years use.

The music and movie industry is something I will never support. Actors and singers and songwriters I will.. but NOT the industry.

[erinsdad]

Handbrake works great. It's free, and you can contribute if you wish.

I must confess I do enjoy copying for friends...

[J Pekkerman]

Sour grapes, from a pile of sour people. As the RIAA did, the MPAA is waging a LOSING BATTLE trying to stop people from exercising their fundamental rights to FAIR USE copying of OWNED material. This piece of crap software from REAL wasn't even a 'REAL' piece of copy software anyway, so taking it off the market does NOTHING to stop copying. What a joke!

[Kira]

Thankfully there are no other methods to copy DVDs, especially free ones, or those built in/for Linux :)

[Michael]

I think it's fine that the studios prevent the copying of DVDs, but I think that along with that right comes the responsibility to insure that the content of the DVD remains available to the purchaser in the event of destructive damage to the DVD. I think that if a DVD is damaged the studio should be required to replace it with a new copy if the damaged copy is sent in. They say that they are losing multiple millions in pirated copies. They assume that they would make those millions is copies were forbidden. So, the cost of that return program would be negligible compared to the new income.

[Ger]

I am sick of this! So.... Shall we close all the libraries and put every manufacturer of copy machines out of business??? After all, the library purchased the books not the patrons and every copy machine in the world has the "potential" for copyright infringement!

[Consumer]

They can continue to take down software companies...we all know it happens. It's a shame that Real had to take the boot, they are an alright company.

4.5Million, I am curious as to how the "major studios" came up with this number, I'm sure they don't even know.
But what I do know is they cannot make up for how much they have lost over the best mesh network on the planet, THE INTERNET dun dun dunnnn!

[Darr247]

No, fair use isn't dead... it's just your idea of fair use (being able to watch the movie you bought on any display device you own) doesn't agree with the studios' and MPAA's idea of fair use (after 3 passes of the laser reader on your home DVD player, the media the $29.99 movie is on disintegrates enough to prevent further viewing).

What happened to our LATimes accounts, by the way? After making an account on TypePad, logging in and returning here, it says I'm logged in as (nobody).

[Dub]

That's messed up. I buy movies a lot, and I like to put copies on my PC. Not all movies come with a digital copy and the ones that do usually have an expiration date so after that date you can no longer get the digital copy off the disk. The other problem with the digital copies is when my computer screws up and I have to reinstall windows I have to go through a big process to have them put back on my pc. Now that software is a good idea because I can backup all my movies on my Hard Drive and if my computer crashes I don't have to worry about not being able to use my digital copies again.
I do understand the concerns about making copies of movies you rent or borrow, also pirating and P2P File sharing, but I don't agree with not being able to copy a movie you bought to your PC. I just think its bullshit that they don't want you to do it, but there are a lot of other programs out there that can do it, and it won't stop pirating of movies by making one program illegal.

[Dante Lee]

Real just went through another round of major shakeups. This appears to be a bit of clean up work. Just settle and make it go away. RealDVD's crusader is no longer CEO.

[dontbuydvds]

This is the numberone reason I do not ever buy DVD's. You'r not allowed to back up a coppy, so if it breaks, or fails to read you are essentially screwed. You bought it but can't do anything with the copy you bought.

Unless they start using keys like that used in many high end video games today, the piracy will never stop. It will go on, the more they push the more people will see to fight against it. You may target a company out in the open, but you can never target the shadow masses in their parents basements, or the sweat shops with 20 asian kids burning coppies for chicken nugets.

[Steve]

It's okay to down on on the movie and record companies but remember that along with the suits and lawyers whom you profess to dislike, there are also hundreds, if not thousands, of working people who depend upon those companies for a paycheck, secretaries, truck drivers, clerks, janitors, and so forth, who are just trying to make a living, feed their kids, put them through school, and maybe save a little bit for retirement.

Ripping off "the man" may make you feel good but remember that you're not affecting the fat cats at all, they've got the big annual bonuses and the golden parachutes meted out to them by their cronies on the board of directors. You're cheating working folks out of their jobs and their hopes to just get by.

And, oh, if you want a "backup copy" of a DVD or CD? Buy a second one.

And, no, I don't work for or own stock in any entertainment company, just in case you're wondering.

I'm just a working guy with some compassion for my fellow working folks.

[AV]

I am sorry to hear that. Of cource big companied just "loosing money" compared to millions they make. There is no freedom in US. Pretty soon they will charge your friends a fee for comming to your house and watching a movie with you which you rented out because "just eveyone needs to pay" or multimillion Holliwood companies will go poor...

[tor]

so what, there are plenty of tools for ripping dvds, this just made me laugh so hard today, i feel like downloading and ripping more dvds today.
:))

[Richy]

What bullshit most of you come out with! I have a collection of over 600+ (original) DVDs, all in pristine condition, they are played fairly regularly, they don't need backing up and I have no intention of backing them up because a) I don't lend them to dick-head friends who don't know how to handle a DVD b) I don't put them face up/face down on the carpet/hard surfaces c) I don't play Frisbee with them d) I don't use them for coffee coasters. I have no problems paying up to $20 for a DVD because it will last a life-time if I look after it. Just admit it people, you are just tight-arses who want everything for free.

[Richy]

Steve, you are the only one making sense in this forum. Everybody else just needs to let the moths out of their wallets and stop justifying their illegal activities with the fat cat excuse. Cars are even more expensive than DVDs, but we don't steal them. DVDs are dirt cheap these days, so you have no excuse.

[HDTVJunkie]

This is the same battle the RIAA had with manufacuters of cassette audio tape recorders back in the 1970s. What's the difference today? Our legislators in Washington! Organizations like the MPAA and the RIAA will aways fight against legislation such as "Fair Use" and the people will always fight against legislation such as the DCMA. The only question is "Who are our legislators working for?"

There are valid reasons for amending the DCMA such as making a back-up copy. If your DVD collection was stored on your computer and you have a home network, you could watch any film you own, at any TV in your house, with just a few button clicks.

I'd like to remind our legislators that the RIAA insisted the music recording industry was going to die if "Fair Use" legislation was passed. It's been almost 40 years since then. Do we still have a music industry? About $10.4 billion-a-year's worth.

[Kittybarfola]

I recommend DVD DECRYPTER. It's free. It can be found on the Internet.

[Jim]

And in the rest of the world.. no one cares about Real and their crap software, and people still use DVDDecrypter for free. :)

PS: Screw you MPAA