The End of DVD Copying? MPAA Kills RealDVD for Good
Instead of appealing a decision that deemed its DVD-copying software illegal, Real Networks caved to the studios and will pay $4.5 million. Implications for Kaleidescape?
Real Networks (RNWK) caved to the studios yesterday.
Instead of appealing a decision that deemed its $30 RealDVD ripping software illegal, the company is paying the studios $4.5 million as reimbursement for legal fees.
Under the auspices of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the studios sued Real in September 2008, claiming violations under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
An injunction was imposed – and never lifted -- on sales of RealDVD.
In August 2009, the MPAA prevailed in its case against Real, which promised to appeal the decision.
Yesterday, Real gave up.
In addition to coughing up $4.5 million, Real agreed to abandon its claims against the studios and shut off metadata to the 2,700 users who managed to buy the software before the injunction was ordered.
After yesterdayfs decision, MPAA general counsel Daniel Mandil said that the courtfs grulings and this settlement affirm what we have said from the very start of this litigation: It is illegal to bypass the copyright protections built into DVDs.h
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Apparently the MPAA is completely clueless to the fact that there's more than just one software program that can copy DVDs....
What a bunch of dopes. :shakehead:
Instead of appealing a decision that deemed its DVD-copying software illegal, Real Networks caved to the studios and will pay $4.5 million. Implications for Kaleidescape?
Real Networks (RNWK) caved to the studios yesterday.
Instead of appealing a decision that deemed its $30 RealDVD ripping software illegal, the company is paying the studios $4.5 million as reimbursement for legal fees.
Under the auspices of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the studios sued Real in September 2008, claiming violations under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
An injunction was imposed – and never lifted -- on sales of RealDVD.
In August 2009, the MPAA prevailed in its case against Real, which promised to appeal the decision.
Yesterday, Real gave up.
In addition to coughing up $4.5 million, Real agreed to abandon its claims against the studios and shut off metadata to the 2,700 users who managed to buy the software before the injunction was ordered.
After yesterdayfs decision, MPAA general counsel Daniel Mandil said that the courtfs grulings and this settlement affirm what we have said from the very start of this litigation: It is illegal to bypass the copyright protections built into DVDs.h
-------------------------------------------
Apparently the MPAA is completely clueless to the fact that there's more than just one software program that can copy DVDs....
What a bunch of dopes. :shakehead:
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