Tuesday, September 30, 2008

MPAA Sues RealNetworks

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has filed an anticipated lawsuit against RealNetworks, the group said Tuesday afternoon, asking a federal court to stop Seattle-based RealNetworks from distributing its new RealDVD software, which allows consumers to copy and view DVDs on their PCs. According to the MPAA, RealDVD violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) because its software illegally bypasses the copyright protection built into DVDs that protect movies against theft. The MPAA said it filed the lawsuit today in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. The group is looking for both damages and injunctive relief against RealNetworks. According to the MPAA, Realnetworks is a licensee of the CSS encryption which is used for decoding and protecting DVD content, and has "attempted to leverage its license improperly" in developing RealDVD. Earlier today, RealNetworks said it had filed a pre-emptive lawsuit against a number of Hollywood studios to protect its RealDVD product.