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

hmm.. interesting:


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

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

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

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 :)

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

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. "

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 :winkwink:

i'd bet on that :winkwink:

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."

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

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.

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.