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Professur

Professur

Well-Known Member
Judge bans DVD X Copy software
By Tony Smith
Posted: 23/02/2004 at 10:25 GMT

DVD duplication software maker 321 Studios has been given seven days to stop selling its controversial DVD X Copy family of utilities, a US federal judge has ruled.

The ruling follows legal action brought against the developer by MGM Studios, Tristar Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Time Warner Entertainment, Disney, Universal City Studios and The Saul Zaentz Company last May. The movie companies alleged 321's product violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

US District Judge Susan Illston, delivering her verdict on Friday, agreed - and formally banned 321 form manufacturing, distributing or otherwise trafficking in the DVD X Copy series.

Shortly after the judge's decision was announced, 321 stated its intention to appeal against the ruling and to request that the ruling be suspended until the appeal has been judged.

321 offers a number of version of DVD X Copy, all based on DeCSS, the open source DVD content descrambler written to allow Linux users to watch DVDs on their computers and already the focus of considerable legal activity.

If it loses its appeal, the company will strip out DeCSS from DVD X Copy, but since it's widely available on the Internet, such a move shouldn't hinder matters much.

The movie studios action against 321 follows action it took against them to force a legal ruling on the validity of the DMCA, specifically with regards to its limitations of fair use. 321 claims its software allows users to make back-up copies of DVDs they have purchased. By enabling such a 'fair use' under pre-DMCA US copyright law, its software should not fall foul of the DMCA. That the wording of the DMCA suggests it does is a confusion that the courts must clarify, the company says.

Meanwhile, 321 is the subject of legal action launched by Warner Home Video in the UK, alleging infringement of the European Union Copyright Directive - Europe's answer to the DMCA - and of the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988. ®
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source
 
So...they're trying to make DVD-copying illegal (as it should be), but they're inadvertantly going to make it impossible for people on Linux to actually watch the DVD's that they've purchased as well.

Sounds like that program needs a rewrite to allow read-only capabilities...or perhaps, better encryption.
 
Not only is that a self defeating effort, WRT open source programming, it's too damn late. Horse has already left the barn.
 
Professur said:
Not only is that a self defeating effort, WRT open source programming, it's too damn late. Horse has already left the barn.
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You figure that they would've learned to react quicker to tech-trends by now, after the MP3 debacle. Hell, they're trying to put the fire back on the match after a firestorm in that case. You can buy CD players that won't sell unless that have MP3-reading capabilities, or proteable MP3 pleaayers using the newest in Flash-mem tech, and only just recently are they trying to put that djini back in the bottle.

:rolleyes:

Beurocrats are too old and too slow to keep up with today's advanced tech
 
The only way they would be able to keep up is for any new technology to go through an approval before it is released. Do you really want the gov deciding what kind of technologies we can and can't have?
 
PuterTutor said:
The only way they would be able to keep up is for any new technology to go through an approval before it is released. Do you really want the gov deciding what kind of technologies we can and can't have?
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They already do, to a large extent.
 
MrBishop said:
So...they're trying to make DVD-copying illegal (as it should be), but they're inadvertantly going to make it impossible for people on Linux to actually watch the DVD's that they've purchased as well.
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Nah, this action won't affect Linux users at all, since all they want is to get dvd x copy out of the market.

DeCSS is relatively big by now, i'd dare to say thousandos of Linux users have the source code, pursuing the code would only make it more popular, just like the way it happened when the interpol broke into that 12 yo finish kid a few years back.

I think i still have a copy of the original DeCSS code made by that kid :D
 
yup libdvdcss (or whatever it's called) is a seperate animal. And that kid that wrote it had the charges dropped against him too.
 
Gonz said:
Why can't I make backup copies of MY movie?
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It's another one of those "the jerk-offs are screwing up the legitimate users" issues. You Should absolutely be able to back up your legally purchased DVD. Since the same technolgy allows the same DVD to be pirated, the legitimate user is screwed. :shrug: Wish I had a workable answer.

Edit: Switch to Linux, my young Jedi. :lol:
 
Seriously, does anyone REALLY backup his/her legitimate purchased DVD movies?? :rofl4:
 
Luis I do . I have this software. I make the backups for the kids to watch. so they dont ruin my originals.
This software is awsome and its a shame the govt has to ruin it all again. I was also informed that because i bought it thru 321 studios that i was on a list now. Meaning the feds have my name and if they showed up with a warrant and found a burned copy of a movie i didnt own id go to the pokey.
"goes to hide from the evil govt now"
 
Our copy of Disney's Dinosaurs doesn't work. According to their website, I can send 'em the original disk & $10. to get a working copy. Nice of them to discount a non-scratched non-woking disk isn't it.

chcr, it's only a problem for some. I've already found ways around the copy protections & can burn whatever is wanted. The legit user can still do it, it just takes a few minutes longer, if they're willing to go on a fuck the studios, it's mine rampage. ;)

Sammy, I'll be glad to hold on to the five- or six- thousand backups you have :D
 
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