U.S. judge: DVD rip software banned from sale

[Dirty Dane]

hmm.. interesting:

RealNetworks has been told by the courts that its DVD copying software RealDVD will continue to banned from sale.

Although the court was adjourned back in May, it has taken a few months to decide whether RealDVD should be allowed on-sale.

This ruling upholds the original injunction that was put into place while a lawsuit issued to the company by the MPAA was investigated.

Rule of law

Judge Marilyn Patel decided that the injunction should remain, and will do so until a formal trial.

The bad news for RealNetworks is that a trial isn't expected for at least a year. Unsurprisingly, MPAA chief Dan Glickman said the decision was a "rule of law".

http://www.techradar.com/news/comput...om-sale-624897

Realnetwork response: http://www.realnetworks.com/company/...al_ruling.html

[Fletch XXX]

this is crazy, the court agreed making blank tape copies was legal, now ripping is a crime???

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_v._Universal

[Dirty Dane]

Originally Posted by Fletch XXX

this is crazy, the court agreed making blank tape copies was legal, now ripping is a crime???

I don't think ripping is a crime (depends on your local laws and what your rip). It is the sale of such software in question.
Generally I think it is crazy to ban sale of rip software too, but if it is designed to break a copy protection, then I do not mind banning it, or partly banning such features. I don't know if realdvd is designed to do that though. Their products sucks anyway

[MaDalton]

dvd ripping programs that BREAK copy protection are already illegal here - it's just that for nearly every program you can find a patch to solve the problem on the internet. which makes that law pretty useless

[Fletch XXX]

Originally Posted by Dirty Dane

I don't think ripping is a crime (depends on your local laws and what your rip). It is the sale of such software in question.
Generally I think it is crazy to ban sale of rip software too, but if it is designed to break a copy protection, then I do not mind banning it, or partly banning such features. I don't know if realdvd is designed to do that though. Their products sucks anyway

well let me explain. I purchase a lot of very expensive collector DVDs and CDs. Some compact discs I buy cost me $50 each if imported from places like Scandinavia... I collect import goods. I listen to many bands not from US like Turbonegro and have collected imports since I was in my teens.

Everytime I buy an expensive CD I do not play it, I rip a copy, and I play that and the mp3s and store the disc in my collection so I never scratch it.

I do the same with DVDs. I have hand numbered limited edition horror DVDs that I will not play but once to rip... selling software that rips is no different than selling VCRs.

This was settled in the case between Sony and Universal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_v._Universal

"The Court also ruled that the manufacturers of home video recording devices, such as Betamax or other VCRs (referred to as VTRs in the case), cannot be liable for infringement. "

[Dirty Dane]

Originally Posted by MaDalton

it's just that for nearly every program you can find a patch to solve the problem on the internet. which makes that law pretty useless

Agreed. But I think some of those programming those patches may also be connected to the companies of the original software. They just don't want to admit it or leave traces officially

[MaDalton]

Originally Posted by Dirty Dane

Agreed. But I think some of those programming those patches may also be connected to the companies of the original software. They just don't want to admit it or leave traces officially

i'd bet on that

[Fletch XXX]

my guess is when this actually goes to a formal trial it will be found to not be illegal.

"Judge Marilyn Patel decided that the injunction should remain, and will do so until a formal trial."

[PornMD]

Regardless of what this is actually about, thumbs up that it happened to RealNetworks. They suck.

[Dirty Dane]

Originally Posted by Fletch XXX

I do the same with DVDs. I have hand numbered limited edition horror DVDs that I will not play but once to rip... selling software that rips is no different than selling VCRs.

This was settled in the case between Sony and Universal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_v._Universal

"The Court also ruled that the manufacturers of home video recording devices, such as Betamax or other VCRs (referred to as VTRs in the case), cannot be liable for infringement. "

Realnetworks thought same argument about complying with the DVD license agreement would work, but obviously it did not convince the judge. So until trial, the ban remains.

[Dirty Dane]

Originally Posted by Fletch XXX

my guess is when this actually goes to a formal trial it will be found to not be illegal.

"Judge Marilyn Patel decided that the injunction should remain, and will do so until a formal trial."

I think that will happen too. There are probably hundreds of other software that can do the same, at least if you combine some of them, but I think the industry will try to set a new precedence. From their point of view it's worth a try, and even if they acknowledge it is not possible, at least they can slow down companies profiting off illegal activities through legal means.