The Motion Picture Association of America has prevailed in its court battle with RealNetworks, garnering a permanent injunction against the Seattle software maker from selling a tool that allows for the copying of DVDs.
Under the U.S. District Court Ruling, RealNetworks is permanently barred from selling RealDVD or any similar product that allows users to override standard DVD encryption and burn copies on their computers.
The court ruled that such copying violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
RealNetworks is also required to pay $4.5 million to reimburse the studios for legal expenses.
For the MPAA, however, the thrill of victory is tempered by the fact that there are a number of other software tools on the market, including DVD Copy 123, that allow users to circumvent DVD copy-protection.
