AfterDawn: News

Call it David takes Goliath to court.

A tiny DVD software tools company is ducking the Hollywood giants and challenging U.S. copyright laws. 321 Studios fears the studios want to squash it for selling software that lets you make lesser-quality copies of DVD movies. So it has asked a San Francisco court to declare that its DVD Copy Plus program does not violate the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The 1998 DMCA, reviled by proponents of fair use and free digital speech, deems it illegal to provide information or tools that circumvent copy control technology.

"What we are fighting for is the right for people to make backup copies of DVDs," says Robert Moore, president and chief operating officer of 321 Studios. Moore is asking the U.S. District Court to declare that 321 Studios can legally sell its software. The firm is not seeking any damages.



I certainly agree with 321 Studios’ opinion. When a consumer purchases a digital media product, he should certainly have a right to make a copy. After all DVDs, just like CDs, are very easily damaged and fragile.

PC World

Written by: Lasse Penttinen @ 26 Apr 2002 12:48