A US court has barred RealNetworks from selling software that
enables users to copy DVDs to computer hard drives until a full
trial has been held.
US District Court Judge Marilyn Patel said RealNetworks failed
to show its RealDVD software is to be used for legitimate purposes,
according to
Associated Press.
Several film studios including Walt Disney filed suits against
RealNetworks last year, claiming the RealDVD software would promote
software piracy.
RealNetworks said its product legally meets a growing consumer
interest in creating copies of their DVDs for convenient storage
and viewing.
The firm's lawyers argued that RealDVD is equipped with
anti-piracy features that limit a consumer to making only a single
copy.
But Patel said the software appears to violate federal law
against digital piracy and ruled that the software should not be
sold until a full trial has been held.
The Motion Picture Association of America has welcomed the
temporary banning order against the sale of RealDVD software.
"This is a victory for the creators and producers of motion
pictures and television shows and for the rule of law in our
digital economy," it said in a statement.
No date has been set yet for the full trial in the case to
begin.