DVD Jon blasted by Norwegian prosecutor for breaking Hollywood film codes

Jon Johansen pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges that he broke the law by developing Windows DeCSS software that allowed him to make a decrypted copy of a DVD film he owned.

The case has been delayed for three years, with the MPAA persuading the Norwegian authorities to prosecute the youngster.

Norwegian newspaper Aftenpost reported that on the first day, prosecutor Marie Sunde said that the case wasn't David (Jon) versus Goliath (the MPAA), and didn't mean the film industry had ganged up on a 15-year old kid.

Instead, she said, DVD Jon, by breaking the protection code, threatened the film industry's business.

But Johansen's lawyer said that under Norwegian law it's legal to make a copy of a DVD for personal use.

It's alleged that DVD Jon spread the cracking code across the Internet, which is what really seems to have incensed the MPAA. The case is expected to last until Friday this week. µ

* THERE'S AN interesting article at Gigalaw about how the Californian Supreme Court has placed a limit to personal jurisdiction online. This relates to the Californian DVD Copy Control Association's action against Matthew Pavlovich for alleged trade secret infringement, by posting DeCSS code on an internet web site in October 1999.

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Hollywood persuades Norway to prosecute kid for viewing own DVD