Studios successfully moved for injunction against DVD copying software

In a preliminary ruling, an American court of law has forbidden RealNetworks to sell its DVD copying software RealDVD. This extends the temporary injunction that has been in place since last September, when a number of Hollywood studios, amongst which Disney, Paramount and Universal, filed suit.

RealDVD is software that allows people to make home copies of DVDs on the hard drive of their computer. The judge ruled that, even though the software provides a convenient way for users, it in fact violates federal law as well as the Content Scramble System (CSS) licence agreement of the DVD Copy Control Association that the RealNetworks signed.

RealNetworks argued that, with RealDVD, users have a legal and law abiding alternative to all the DVD-ripping software, just one Google search away, for people who want to create a back up of their movies. All these programs subvert CSS, as it has been cracked years ago.

"As a licensee to the [CSS] Agreement, Real had no authority to make RealDVD products that copy DVD content," wrote the judge, "Other courts have come to this same conclusion. (...) The RealDVD products, by their very nature, open a veritable Pandora\'s box of liability for Real. (RealDVD) circumvents a technological measure that effectively controls access to or copying of the Studios\' copyrighted content on DVDs."

RealNetworks says to be disappointed by the preliminary injunction and contemplates future action. It may well argue that CSS is not all that effective at protecting copyrighted content, as anyone visiting torrentsites, usenet or indeed flea markets can find out.