Judge halts sales of RealDVD

The RealDVD Web site showed the service was unavailable on Sunday.

(Credit: RealNetworks; Jennifer Guevin/CNET News)

A judge has ordered RealNetworks to suspend the sale of RealDVD, the controversial software that hands users the ability to copy and store films to a hard drive, according to a report published by NewTeeVee.com, a technology-news blog.

The film industry sought to prevent sales of RealDVD last week when it filed a lawsuit against RealNetworks. The Motion Picture Association of America accused Real of violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and breach of contract.

According the story on NewTeeVee, the court wants sales to cease until Tuesday, when it has reviewed all the papers involved in the case. On Sunday evening, the RealDVD site notified visitors that because of the legal action taken by Hollywood, RealDVD was unavailable.

"Rest assure we will work diligently to provide you with software that allows you to make a legal copy of your DVDs," the post read.

Representatives from the MPAA and RealNetworks could not be reached Sunday.

[magicmaster]

There are already tons of free softwares capable of doing what RealDVD can do, without the additional self-imposed DRM that RealNetwork implements to tame MPAA.

[ikramerica--2008]

The MPAA doesn't like that Real is trying to profit from the endeavor on a large scale. Obviously there are a bunch of solutions out there that are free or cheap shareware that do the same thing. I use one so I can keep my DVDs in their cases and have instant access to my whole library from my Media PC.

[system001]

i agree with you i plan to get a 25' hdmi cable so i can simply switch monitor output to the lcd tv in the living room and play my dvd,s via the computer rather than put more ware on them. i all ready have the out put from the sound card in to my stereo so i do not put more ware on my cd's. as for good software try dvd decrypt and ratdvd in conjunction. ratdvd is fantastic. take a dvd down to less than 700 mb with the same quality as the full dvd plus have all the features of the original dvd. simply play the .ratdvd file through most video player software.

[2003raptor]

f**k the riaa & mpaa!!! and everyone who says this is stealing! whats stealing is when my disc is scratched and i cant even make a backup of it because its illegal! i gotta go and buy another motherf'n dvd! whos the real criminal here? why dont they stop trying to kill everyone trying to make a backup and actually invest money into making better cds/dvds that cant be scratched or damaged. of course theres no money in that since then we wouldnt be buying more than 1 copy of there DAMN dvd's/cd's.

[bruscol]

What programs are you refrring to. The only one I have rips the DVD to hard drive but still leaves it in a state that needs to be copied to a DVD for playback - would love a prgram that does what RealDVD does without the DRM.

[system001]

as i informed ikramerica try ratdvd with dvd decrypted. goto afterdawn for more info.

[bruscol]

What programs are you referring to. The only one I have rips the DVD to hard drive but still leaves it in a state that needs to be copied to a DVD for playback - would love a program that does what RealDVD does without the DRM.

[ibeetle]

I wish Real had a sense of humor and at put on the site:

RealDVD is currently unavailable. Please try one of the 200 programs that does the exact same thing, but are not getting sued.

[John72953]

Two words.....AnyDVD & CloneDVD

[thelemurking]

two more...

DVD Shrink and DVD Santa

[GadgetDon]

Look for HandBrake to convert those DVDs to a single video file that can be played on your computer, XBox, or portable player.

Also, many DVD players can play from the hard disk. I don't know which ones on the PC, but Apple's DVD player on the mac can do so.

[3rdalbum]

VLC can play directly from ISO disc images.

Somebody needs to hit the MPAA over the head with a rusty gate until they realise that the bigtime pirates don't use RealDVD.

[bluemist9999]

It comes down to money, as always. Adding the DRM isn't as big a deal as making a lot of money without the MPAA getting a piece of the pie.

The problem is, by the letter of the DCMA (which I believe is a far-too-extreme law), what RealDVD does is illegal. It's like opening a sealed envelope, copying the contents, returning the original to the owner (resealing the envelope), and putting the copied contents inside two envelopes.

Unfortunately, until someone overturns or amends the DCMA, which is extremely unlikely, that's the current state of affairs.

[Lerianis]

Actually, by the reading of the DMCA, what RealDVD does is LEGAL. Why? Because they are NOT removing the DRM. They are putting MORE DRM on it, in fact, while not removing the prior DRM. Now, if they WERE removing the DRM, THAT by the literal reading of the DMCA..... oh, wait..... that isn't illegal either..... why? Interoperability purposes! WOW! RealDVD is TOTALLY legal!

As is AnyDVD, CloneDVD, etc.

[mindgamez]

People still use Real software?

[bemenaker]

DVDShrink is another good one. You may need a dvd unlocker in some cases

[kyle172]

The RIAA is so overrated I mean give yourself up. You can't control every single thing that happens on the internet involving the copying of movies or dvd. It's just like four police officers in a riot gear trying to control a sea of 100's and thousands of people with cocktail bombs

[umbrae]

AnyDVD and DVDShrink for complete unfettered access to your DVDs.

Hopefully, this will be a big egg on the face of the MPAA. The RealDVD software is crap because its just uses DRM on top of DRM. However, another dent in the DMCA would be nice.

[Lerianis]

Hopefully, the judges will see the DMCA for what it is: an unconstitutional law that tries to limit what you do with your own LEGALLY BOUGHT PURCHASES.
The DMCA needs to disappear, and the RIAA and MPAA and ANY OTHER HOLLYWOOD ORGANIZATION need to be BANNED from lobbying Congress. Corporatinos are NOT equal to private citizens. Period, done with, over: THEY ARE NOT EQUAL TO YOU OR ME AND SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCESS TO LOBBYING, unless they go the 'non-profit' route!

[mald0r0r]

The big difference between RealDVD and all the other software you mention is the idea that Real believes their software is Legal (obviously up to debate). Where all the other software, while free, more glaringly violates the law by modifying the original format of the movie (transcoding, resizing, removing menus/spanish audio/etc).

[Catservant]

I wonder how long it's going to take the MPAA to go after Telestream. Their Drive-In app for the Mac does the same thing as RealDVD.

[plugh767]

I haven't used any "Real" software in many years ... not since they were logging everything you played. But ... I have to give them qudos for RealDVD, not because it does anything that you can't find free software to do but because it's a real, stand up and be counted, challenge to the DMCA. When they first announded the product I couldn't think what they were doing except trying to challenge the DMCA, and for that they should be given much praise.

You do know all that free DVD ripping software is illegal (in the US) don't you? (Note that I didn't ask if you care).

-p

[system001]

i am very plain spoken. so i will make this simple. as far as i am concerned i bought the dvd i will make a copy of it on my harddrive for backup. the same holds true for music cd's as well as any software i buy on cd or dvd. currently i run vista on one drive. then i have drive e which has a copy of everything software, movie, and music wise that i do not want to loose. then i have drive f which is an exact copy of drive e. i am not repeat not going to change my practice of backing up everything just to make the riaa, mpaa or any of them happy. i bought the dvd's, i bought the software, i bought the music and i will protect my investment. keywords "I BOUGHT" hence i own that copy.

[old3eyes]

Guess this judge was bought by the MPAA..

[as901]

I refuse to purchase any Sony products because of their extreme stand on ownership. If I purchase a legal copy of a DVD and wish to back my copy up, that is my right!

The problem is that the GOP has gone way too far in placing judges in power who favor business over consumers! This case should have been thrown out!

Mark Heinemann