RealNetworks steps up its RealDVD legal case, just wants your approval

It wasn't long ago that RealNetworks and its kludgy Player software were the bane of computer users everywhere. But, a few legal accusations later, Real is now the apple in the eye of every fair use advocate, fighting for the right for users to make legal copies of DVDs -- so long as you make them through its RealDVD software, of course. The company is now escalating its legal battle against Hollywood big wigs, suing the six major movie studios and the DVD Copy Control Association for anticompetitive activity, asking for monetary damages due to the sales it has lost since the industry asked for that initial injunction against RealDVD. We're not entirely sure who's going to come up on top of this one, but if Kaleidescape can survive the CCA, maybe Real can too.

[jon Posted May 14th 2009 8:26AM]

If there was a way for this to only work with retail DVDs, and not Netflix DVDs maybe everyone would be happy.;)

[jon Posted May 14th 2009 8:29AM]

Also, an apple of someone's eye is something special.

An apple in the eye, just, really hurts.

[(Unverified) Posted May 14th 2009 8:51AM]

I happen to agree. I am probably in the minority but I think that if there was a way to back up DVD's you bought (retail or secondhand) I don't think hollywood would have a huge problem. I think the problem is that lots of us get video's from Netflix, make a copy of them, and claim them as our own...

Step 1: Buy Disc
Step 2: Back up Disc
Step 3: Everyone happy.

Not

Step 1: Rent Disc
Step 2: Back up Disc
Step 3: Collector Happy, People who worked on the movie not.

[Rena Posted May 14th 2009 10:17AM]

Removing the copy protection from retail discs and keeping it on rentals seems like a good idea, until you consider that it may prevent you from even playing the disc. I have a few DVDs that won't play on my machine due to the DRM on them.

[emax Posted May 14th 2009 11:40AM]

This would all be null and void if the MPAA and the other parties just sold Licenses to view the content instead of the actual media it is supplied by.

They could still break it up for people to buy only DVDs, or only iTunes versions, but if you had the ability to buy a license (for a reasonable price) to watch (your fave movie) and use it for picking up a DVD, the iTunes version, and the Blu-ray version instead of having to buy each individually, this would prevent people from "breaking copyright law" And it could allow people to buy it in any direction such as:

Buy DVD for dvd players > rip to computer in iTunes for use on computer and ipod
Buy iTunes version for computer and ipod > burn to DVD for use in DVD players

They kinda sorta got a little bit of this by buying DVDs with the Digital copy available, but the problem is that is most of the time a "time sensitive" promotion, and only tied to a single only digital distribution source.

We need the transparency to get the content from anywhere we want. whenever we want.

What the MPAA should realize is, if this was the way it was they would have so many sales of content that they wouldn't care about people making "backups" or copies because no one would need to.

[(Unverified) Posted May 14th 2009 8:36AM]

So their case is is buffering...

[(Unverified) Posted May 14th 2009 9:02AM]

Best. Comment. Ever.

[Chefgon Posted May 14th 2009 9:34AM]

All the pain I suffered at the hands of RealPlayer has just been justified. You are truly a king among men.

[nDy Posted May 14th 2009 12:04PM]

And then since the codec is never there,
Realplayer will ask you to check again.

Case will never end.

[feraligatr8 Posted May 14th 2009 8:41AM]

The only good thing that's ever come out of real is the .RM and .RMVB format

[ashasaur Posted May 14th 2009 9:18AM]

How exactly are either of those good things?

[feraligatr8 Posted May 14th 2009 9:24AM]

It compresses my pirated media to smaller files sizes ^_^

[(Unverified) Posted May 14th 2009 9:36AM]

Your view of "good" is hideously deranged.

[Anticrawl Posted May 14th 2009 8:48AM]

Real sucks real hard for real.

[Rena Posted May 14th 2009 10:14AM]

Their software may be lousy, but at least they're standing up for what's right.

[Anticrawl Posted May 14th 2009 2:27PM]

Fighting for what's right? Maybe you should read the article, they couldn't care less about you, they want people to have to pay for their shitty RealDVD software when they burn or rip their movies and if it's illegal then they don't get any money.

[3rdsun Posted May 14th 2009 3:41PM]

I always liked Real cuz they always keep it real. Real 10 is a very good media manager. Way better than WM 11 and the ability to download videos is great. My music video collection rivals my music collection.

[From My Cube Posted May 14th 2009 8:50AM]

good call, France is awsome at fighting remeber that time they built a huge wall on one side of their country, almost all the way to the top but said, nahhh there is a nuteral country up here, lets not build our awsome wall here even though Germany could waltz right over them...




ohhh too soon?

[Fanman Posted May 14th 2009 9:06AM]

Not so much too soon as wtf are you on about.

[kstswe Posted May 14th 2009 9:17AM]

Huh ? What are you talking about ?

[From My Cube Posted May 14th 2009 9:21AM]

well my comment looks stupid now, there was an idiot spamming a french website about how awsome france is on fighting piracy or something

[(Unverified) Posted May 14th 2009 9:37AM]

Thaaaaat's not why it looks stupid.

[(Unverified) Posted May 14th 2009 9:17AM]

This is something i didnt think i'd say.....


Go Real.

That was hard to do.

[jimr1234567890 Posted May 14th 2009 9:34AM]

I have been looking for a nice visual indexing system like that for my collection of DVDs. If it only worked with all my current movie files.

[Chefgon Posted May 14th 2009 9:37AM]

It would be way easier to root for them if they were ANYBODY else.

I wish that Google would have made this program instead. They are much easier to love.

[(Unverified) Posted May 14th 2009 9:42AM]

GOOD FOR YOU REAL NETWORKS!

I'm glad to see someone is standing up to these FAT cats!!!


For Real to get sued for making LEGAL COPIES OF YOUR OWN DVD's? They've gone too far, the movie studios that is. That why I purposely don't pay for movies now and again, they're just too greedy.

[nikster Posted May 14th 2009 10:18AM]

About time those fuckers get sued.

Thanks Real, I almost forgive you your garbage software for that.

[bonedog73 Posted May 14th 2009 10:23AM]

Thing is the 'real' Pirates will continue to profit. This only prevents legitamate consumers from backing up DVD's.

[BOGRASH Posted May 14th 2009 12:46PM]

Fuck Real

[WestCoastG Posted May 14th 2009 2:33PM]

Does anyone remember DVD X Copy?

[WestCoastG Posted May 14th 2009 2:35PM]

It seems as though that company is still selling their software. Why aren't they being sued?

http://www.dvdxcopy.com/

[(Unverified) Posted May 14th 2009 6:39PM]

There is free software that works with windows media center that does the same thing as realdvd. It's called My Movies, www.mymovies.dk