6 Studios and RealNetworks in a battle of lawsuits to prevent a DVD copying program’s progress.

Six major movie studios, namely Paramount Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, Columbia Pictures, the Walt Disney Company and Sony, sued Seattle-based company RealNetworks on Tuesday over its program that allows people to copy DVDs. The studios aren’t happy about the implications regarding possible piracy of their strictly no-copy enforced DVDs

RealNetworks would argue that their software gives the user the freedom to make the DVD content more portable. On top of that it argues that the software, RealDVD, is now legal due to a decision in favour of Kaleidescape, a manufacturer of top-of-the-range servers., in addition to which is the fact that it conforms to the rules on DVD protection because it encrypts the digital copies that it makes; thus preventing illegal file-sharing.

As a counter argument, the studios argue that RealNetworks’ software violates the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act by bypassing the anti-copying mechanism which is recorded onto the original DVDs.

RealNetworks see the studios’ action as counterproductive in attempting to disrupt technological advancement which could provide consumers with greater flexibility.

I would tend to agree with RealNetworks on this point; although I do understand the case from the perspective of the studios. What’s your take on it?

Addendum: January 10th 2009: For the latest on this story; click here.