RealNetworks releasing DVD copying software

Tag : hard drives

Initially, the software was to be rolled out Monday, but Glasersaid the company decided to work on it longer. Instead, RealDVDwill be available by the end of the month for $30, he said.Consumers who want to use the product on other computers can buy upto four additional software licenses for $20 each.
Glaser said RealNetworks licensed the encryption software for theproduct from the DVD Copy Control Association, which also licensesto the manufacturers of DVD players. Greg Larsen, a spokesman forthe association, had no comment.
But despite the inclusion of encryption, the product may be viewednegatively by movie studios, which have traditionally been stricton content protection issues like their counterparts in the musicindustry.
Charles Van Horn, president of the Content Delivery and StorageAssociation, a trade group that represents some entertainmentcompanies, expects some kind of industry response. He noted thatconsumers could still use the software to copy things that theydon't really own.
"I don't see how they're going to stop the consumer from making acopy of something they borrowed for free from a friend or alibrary, or rented from Netflix or Blockbuster or anywhere else,"he said.
Glaser concedes that is possible, but said that RealDVD does remindusers when they save content that they should save only DVDs thatbelong to them.
"If you want to steal, we remind you what the rules are and wediscourage you from doing it, but we're not your nanny," he said.
Analysts said maintaining the CSS encryption may be enough to keepstudios happy. But Piper Jaffray analyst Michael J. Olson saidRealNetworks still "crossed a line" that nobody has successfullycrossed in legally copying DVDs.