Easy DVD Burning

Another court hearing is scheduled this week in San Francisco regarding the movie industry arguments against RealDVD software package. San Francisco court could come up with a conclusion this week or soon thereafter if RealNetwork’s $30 software package violates copyrights and should therefore be permanently stop from distribution.

They have already been ordered to stop since last October when the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) won a temporary restraining order, forcing RealDVD off the market.

To RealDVD spokesperson Bill Hankes, the case is simple.

"The consumer should have the same fair use rights to copy DVDs just as they have for the last decade with music."

It’s OK to copy music from CDs, for example, and place it in an iPod. Yet, it’s illegal to do the same with a DVD. When it comes to the DVD, there’s not even a question of fair use. This is because the DMCA protects the DVD but not the CD.

The six big movie studios represented by the MPAA have described RealDVD as “Steal DVD” and they claim that it is illegal under the DCMA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) because it allows users to make digital copies of their discs onto a computer or laptop hard drive. The real fear being expressed for the future of DVD market is that it will enable consumers to “rent, rip and return”.

"Our industry will continue on this path because it gives consumers greater choices ... However, we will vigorously defend our right to stop companies from bringing products to market that ... clearly violate the law," says the MPAA.

According to RealNetworks their software is not a hacker’s tool because they have even enhanced the security of the product. Bill Hankes said:

"We have added an extra layer of security encryption, the same the government uses, to ensure piracy is not a possibility,"

This digital rights management technology locks the copied DVD to the hard drive thus preventing the user from sharing, distributing or even uploading the copied files to the internet.

The primary responsible for the copy protection which is the DVD Copy Control Association is also suing RealNetworks but would not give their comment until the case is resolved.

If RealNetworks will win with this case it would send the message to the general public that it’s OK to copy DVDs.