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1: RealNetworks Appeals Injunction on RealDVD Sales

First off today, Real, the company most famous for its RealPlayer product, is appealing an injunction that is barring it from selling RealDVD, it’s DVD ripping and storage product that the movie studios have launched a legal campaign to block.

According to the movie studios, RealDVD, which allows users to rip DVDs to their hard drive and then store them for future playback, is a violation of their copyrights as it allows users to break the encryption on the DVD itself. RealDVD, however, countered and said that they did not simply break the encryption, but wrapped the ripped DVD in an encryption of its own.

The judge in the case sided with the movie studios, issuing a restraining order barring the sale of the product, an order that Real is now appealing, claiming that the lower judge used an incorrect standard when deciding to impose the injunction.

In addition to RealDVD, Real is also planning to introduce a standalone DVD player that also stores the DVDs on a hard drive for easier playback.

2: Console Modder’s Appeal Tossed in UK Court

UK citizen Christopher Paul Gilham, convicted in 2008 of modifying various video game consoles to play pirated games, has had his appeal tossed.

The appeal centered around the issue of “whether the playing of a counterfeit DVD involves substantial copying of a copyright work.” This was an issue because Gilham did not actual copy or pirate any games, but rather, simply sold and installed the chips that enabled his customers to play such games.

The court ruled that it was irrelevant whether or not the chip stored any substantial elements of the game in its ram, but rather, it was illegal because it copies some copyrightable elements, such as characters and artwork.

Copyright holders welcomed the decision and the clarification and the ruling will likely make it much more difficult for video game console modders in the UK to make a case that their activity is legal.

3: Don`t Jail Illegal Music Sharers: UN Agency

Finally today, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which is a UN agency, has said that jailing file sharers would be counter-productive to correcting the current copyright climate and that it is imperative that alternatives, such as flat rate download licenses, be discussed seriously.

WIPO also warned that the copyright protection for music was “under the most severe stress” though similar problems could come to movies as connection speeds increase.

Though short on solutions, WIPO was quick to condemn all severe punishments for copyright infringement, including the recent Thomas/Tenenbaum rulings in the US and The Pirate Bay convictions in Sweden.

Suggestions

That’s it for the three count today. We will be back tomorrow with three more copyright links. If you have a link that you want to suggest a link for the column or have any proposals to make it better. Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. I hope to hear from you.

Want the Full Story?

Tune in every Saturday morning for the live recording of the Copyright 2.0 Show or wait and get the edited version Monday morning right here on Plagiarism Today.

1: Facebook Backtracks Under Community Pressure, Goes Back To Old ToS (For Now)

Facebook, after receiving a great deal of pressure from its users, has decided to return to its old TOS. Its new TOS, announced two weeks ago, had caused a great deal of controversy when it removed a clause that allowed users to terminate their copyright license to Facebook by simply removing the work, thus offering them a perpetual license to use the content, even after the user was gone.

Facebook has apologized for the TOS and has created a new group to begin working with members and seek feedback on the next terms of service. This is the second major incident, the first being Beacon, where Facebook has been forced to back away from a change due to user uproar.

2: Video Game Biz Still Targeting Canada Over Mod Chips

The International Intellectual Property Association has (again) asked the U.S. Government to take action against Canada over, among other things, mod chips in Canadian video game systems. It believes that mod chips, which allow users to play games that are either out of region or pirated, are not taken seriously enough by the Canadian government and wants the U.S. to add the country to a “Priority Watch List” along with countries such as Mexico, Russia and China.

Though it is unclear exactly what impact this would have, it is unlikely to succeed as the previous administration did not comply with a similar request and it is unlikely that the current will either.

3: Mozilla backs move to decriminalize iPhone jailbreaking

Finally today, the Mozilla Corporation, the not-for-profit behind the Firefox Web browser, has thrown its support behind an exemption for “jailbreaking” the iPhone as well as other mobile phones. Mozilla joins the EFF, Skype and others in backing the exemption to current anti-circumvention laws.

The United States Copyright Office is currently accepting comments and feedback on potential exemptions to the law and plans to institute changes later this year.

Suggestions

That’s it for the three count today, we’ll be back tomorrow with three more copyright links. If you have a link that you want to suggest a link for the column or have any proposals to make it better. Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. I hope to hear from you.

Want the Full Story?

Tune in every Saturday morning for the live recording of the Copyright 2.0 Show or wait and get the edited version Monday morning right here on Plagiarism Today.