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MPAA Throws a Fit at EFF Over Real DVD Lawsuit Statement

Alex Castle — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:25:28 -0500

Monday, the MPAA posted an open letter to the EFF titled “Hollywood isn’t Living in the Past, EFF Shouldn’t Either.” The testily-titled missive contains the association’s responses to claims that its actions against the RealDVD DVD burning software are an attempt to maintain control over technology and innovation.

In the most pointed paragraph of the letter, the MPAA’s Jeff Williams writes:

“Forgive us if we take offense when the EFF and other activist organizations that continually take the side of those who profit from widespread copyright infringement attack our industry as one that stifles innovation. It's a desperate throw-back to the Napster days of old when they pull out this tired and weathered playbook. It's not 2001 anymore.”

The letter also argues that Hollywood and the internet are no longer at odds, and that legal services like iTunes and Hulu represent ways in which the industry is embracing innovation.

What do you think? Is the MPAA right to say that “The days of Hollywood being from Mars and Silicon Valley being from Venus are simply over?” Hit the jump and let us know.

MPAA Sues RealNetworks Over DVD Copying Tool

Pulkit Chandna — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:10:53 -0500

Although RealNetworks downplayed any legal perils while announcing its DVD copying software last month, the major film studios have acted in the most obvious manner possible by suing the software company.

In the eye of the storm lies RealNetworks’ DVD copying tool called ReadDVD that allows users to make digital copies of their DVDs on their internal or external hard drives. However, the Motion Pictures Association of America (MPAA) hasn’t taken a liking to the tool. The MPAA has dragged RealNetworks to court over RealDVD and is praying for a temporary restraining order against the sale of the software.

Greg Goeckner, executive vice president of MPAA, quipped that the software be called StealDVD instead of RealDVD. However, RealNetworks feels that the software can not be used for piracy as it encrypts the digital copies in such a manner that they can’t be shared.

MPAA Says Anti-Piracy Efforts Are Reason Behind The Dark Knight Success

Chris Moody — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:50:03 -0500

You have to love the spin doctors. No not the band, the group of people that are try to put a certain angle on a viewpoint. Specifically the MPAA’s latest claim that The Dark Knight had such a smash opening weekend was because of their efforts against piracy. It couldn’t possibly be because the movie was actually good, could it?

TechDirt.com points out that the MPAA would have us ignore the awesome reviews, that the movie was available in IMAX (which you can't replicate at home), or that the movie was available online right after it was released in their claims.

In the LA Times article that spawned this debate, the MPAA’s argument cites the original Hulk movie. They argue that a rough, early version of the movie by Ang Lee made its way to the internet about two weeks before the film's scheduled premiere which provoked negative reactions from the comic-book’s devoted fans.

Make the jump to see what else the article had to say.

DVD Copying Is On The Rise

Justin Kerr — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:36:40 -0500

Making copies of protected DVD media is complicated process conducted over dark fiber and only by the hacker elite, or is it? A new survey conducted by Futuresource Consulting shows that in reality, more than one in three US & UK residents have owned up to making copies of content they didn’t own. These numbers are up sharply from the one in four self proclaimed pirates surveyed during the previous year. The results tell the true story of what keeps Hollywood executives up at night. Is the movie industry doomed to suffer the same collapse facing music labels?

Click the jump to find out.

Convicted BitTorrent Seed Farmer Reaps Potential 10 Year Sentence

Paul Lilly — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:07:55 -0500

In today's legal climate surrounding copyright infringement, one thing's becoming clear, and that's to take the plea bargain. Jammie Thomas, accused of illegally sharing 24 copyrighted songs, may wish she had if she can't get a retrial and remains liable for the original $220,000 verdict levied against her. Now it's 26-year-old Daniel Dove who's finding his legal wings clipped in court.

Dove, a former administrator of the now defunct EliteTorrents.com website, opted to plead 'not guilty' to felony copyright infringement and conspiracy charges, but failed to win favor from a federal jury and now faces up to 10 years in prision. Meanwhile, Scott McCausland and Grant Stanley, the two other administrators involved in the suit, each pleaded 'guilty' in 2006 and have already served their respective 5 month sentences.

The Department of Justice accused Daniel Dove of being in charge of a small group of 'Uploaders' tasked with recruiting members to seed illegal content to EliteTorrents' users. Much of the evidence used to convict Dove was supplied by the MPAA, and with another successful high profile conviction notched into the recording industry's belt, we can expect this trend to continue.

White Paper: HD Video Encryption

Zack Stern — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:01:57 -0500

Hollywood math: HDCP + AACS = PITA²

Colleges as Copyright Cops?

Erin Simon — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:39:28 -0600

A new federal financial aid bill includes unprecedented copyright provisions calling on universities to curb students' filesharing.

MPAA Looses The Hounds

Erin Simon — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 21:19:17 -0500

The latest technology in the MPAA's war on movie pirates has a cold, wet nose.