RealDVD is set to go the court today. The Motion Picture Association of America filed a lawsuit to stop the sale of RealNetwork's RealDVD software. This software allows users to copy DVDs onto their hard drive. The MPAA says this violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act because the software bypasses the copy protection built into the DVDs and would allow people to rent DVDs, rip them onto their hard drive, and return the DVDs. They don't want this kind of software developed because it makes it easy for anyone to break anti-piracy laws. Real says consumers have the right to make personal copies of their DVDs. The MPAA says that consumers don't own the right to crack encryption to make copies.
I can see both sides on this one. The thing is, there's plenty of software like this available already on the Internet although it's illegal. Real is making legal software that has many good purposes but can also be used for the wrong purposes. The MPAA knows that having more of the software out there will cause more people who break laws. It will be interesting to see how this turns out.
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