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Hollywood sues Real Networks

Frivolous litigation of the day
Wednesday, 1 October 2008, 09:02

A NUMBER OF MAJOR Hollywood movie studios have sued Real Networks over its controversial DVD copying program.

The frivolous lawsuit, as well as an injunction that would prevent Real DVD from being sold, has been filed by Paramount Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, Columbia Pictures, the Walt Disney Company and Sony.

Greg Goeckner, executive VP and general counsel for the Motion Picture Association of America, opined that "Real DVD should be called Steal DVD".

The self-righteous Goeckner also blamed RealNetworks for "undermining the hard-won trust that has been growing between America's moviemakers and the technology community".

Real Networks responded to the specious allegations by expressing disappointment that the movie industry was "following in the footsteps of the music industry and trying to shut down advances in technology, rather than embracing changes that provide consumers with more value and flexibility for their purchases".

The company has long contended that Real DVD conforms to Hollywood's rules on DVD protection by encrypting the digital copies and preventing unlawful online file sharing.

Dissenters claim the application violates the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act because it bypasses the anti-copying mechanism built into DVDs. µ

L'Inq
NY Times

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Hollywood? Don't take this personally... But get the f**k out of here!

Dear Hollywood: Go ahead, have your gay hissy fit and stop producing DVDs. Believe me, we will ALL be better off once you stop spewing your vacuous crap. Oh, and you needn't bother putting defective copy protection on it. One, it doesn't work, and two, anyone who wants to copy your crap should be committed to an insane aslyum anyway.

Signed,

The Universe in General

Sigh.... I really should stop raising my hopes like that...

posted by : Rich Wargo, 01 October 2008 Complain about this comment
Wrong once again.

I am getting sooo tired of this BS....

Hey, I own a gun. Somebody better go sue colt firearms cause they sold me the means to go shoot someone. 
Oooof.. Better go sue ford and Budweiser, I might get drunk and go drive around till I cause an accident.

Ya can't do it huh? So why is this any different?

Hello!!! Hollywood!!! Wake the HELL UP!!
Your customers are getting tired of you treating them like criminals. I buy my DVD's I want to be able to make a copy of MY disk.. Yes it's MINE.. I paid for the thing. Fair use says I can do darn near anything I want with it short of giving/selling copies of it.

Maybe we consumers need to get together and fire off a class action suite for defamation. All the copy protection, DRM, tells me is that the industry thinks I, as well as everyone else are thieves!... 

Just cause I can do something doesn't mean I will. I dropped my $15 to $25 on the counter, the next person who wants a copy can go to the store and do the same.

Here's a thought....
STOP WASTING $$$$ On DRM and copy protection that doesn't work (The real pirates always find a way around it) And lower the price of your products!

Single DVD cost 15-25 bucks 10 years ago. Still does today.. Can't tell me the process of stamping the things out hasn't gotten cheaper. I know better. Noooo. it's all the doesn't work BS the industry is spending millions on that's keeping the prices up. Then greed gets them suing everyone on the planet that gives us a tool letting us exercise our rights under fair use.

posted by : LoCatus, 01 October 2008 Complain about this comment
Irony Police! Neenaw!

Personally, I am guilty of eroding the trust between foxes and chickens...

posted by : Abby Normal, 01 October 2008 Complain about this comment
Is there a better tagline?

""Real DVD should be called Steal DVD""

Oh, MAN.

posted by : JP C, 01 October 2008 Complain about this comment
Gee What a Shock...

...that the studios would squash something that finally gives back to USA consumers their legal Fair Use rights. Who'd have thunk it!


posted by : Brad, 01 October 2008 Complain about this comment
I'd care a bit, but

Given who we're talking about, feels to me like a simple case of thug vs gangster and I couldn't care less who wins.
Actually, I have even less respect for Real than I do for Hollywood, so, if I could actually give a toss, I'd pitch in for Hollywood this once.
But frankly, this is like having to choose between an Uwe Boll film and spending the evening with my mother-in-law. Either way I'd rather have a headache.

posted by : Pascal Monett, 02 October 2008 Complain about this comment
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