321Studios offers $10,000 reward for busting movie pirates

321Studios offers $10,000 reward for busting movie pirates
321Studios, the developer of the DVDXCopy DVD copying software, has announced a reward for busting and convicting a pirate that uses their products for making illegal movie copies.

321Studios has stated several times that their product is meant for personal backups and allows making perfect backups of any DVD-Video disc available, but has restrictions in place for further copying the discs made with DVDXCopy.



321Studios has been sued by several major movie studios who claim that 321Studios' product violates the American DMCA law. 321Studios has gathered evidence to argue that their product is meant only for personal use -- they recently had a campaign of collecting movie titles not in production anymore to validate their claims that DVDs need to be backed up as there are cases when user simply can't buy a replacement disc when the original is broken.

"While we believe consumers should have the right to make perfect, personal-use backup copies of DVDs they already own, we are against the illegal use of our products," said Mike Wozniak, chief information officer of 321 Studios, in a statement.

More information:

321Studios' Press release
DVDXCopy forums


Written by: Petteri Pyyny @ 12 Feb 2003 14:09
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  • 17 comments
  • AND1

    I smell ass-kissing...

    AND1

    13.2.2003 11:15 #1

  • Sefy

    And it stinks too :-D

    Best Regards,
    Sefy Levy,
    Certified Computer Technician.

    13.2.2003 11:28 #2

  • Dela

    Nah thats good!! At least they can show the MPAA and others that the purpose of this software is and still remains to backup personally owned dvds!

    Afterdawn is run by great people who have ran this site perfectly for 3 years helping literally millions of people. The price of running this web site is very high so please visit some sponsors or consider a donation!

    13.2.2003 11:59 #3

  • doverpro

    if you can't be good, be careful!

    13.2.2003 13:04 #4

  • Sefy

    I Think they are trying to manipulate the people against each other, pretty sneaky :-P

    Best Regards,
    Sefy Levy,
    Certified Computer Technician.

    13.2.2003 13:07 #5

  • A_Klingon

    Nothing could be sneakier than Hollywood and the MPAA. Fight fire with fire, I say.

    Radio Shack 80286
    128K Ram
    Sears 9" B/W monitor
    Dual 5-1/4" floppies
    Batteries, cassette-tape drive

    14.2.2003 01:10 #6

  • rhmoore

    WOW! It really worries me that most of you don't get the point. The idea behind the reward is to address this lame issue of piracy that the MPAA brings out. They are the ones claiming piracy. We are claiming fair use. I've never ONCE been made aware of a single instance where DXC is being used to "pirate" dvd movies.

    Come on, get real here! This is not about turning on our customers, it's about crying out with a loud unified voice to the MPAA, "PROVE IT!" We're not pirates, WE ARE AMERICANS. Standing up for our fair use rights and expectations. I will no longer be called a criminal without proof, plain and simple! And neither should any of you.

    DXC is not a piracy tool. That is ludicrous. You wanna pirate DVD movies, you're not going to use DXC to do so. Let's call a spade a spade and demand that accusations of criminal activity be backed with some substantive proof. This is in NO way an accusation of our customers. It should be quite obviously the opposite. It is a declaration of our rights, our non-infringing use of DXC and a compelling reason that absent this kind of piracy activity, DXC and other like products should not be shelved, simply because someone with more money said these products are illegal.

    I'm with you and all other customers who believe this! Back to the fight...

    14.2.2003 07:09 #7

  • HomerJ

    Robert,

    I couln't agree with you more.

    The MPAA are on a crusade. When it comes to piracy we are all being tarred with the same brush.

    They don't recognise our "for personal use" rights at all.

    If we don't stand up and fight for our right, we'll lose them.

    HomerJ

    14.2.2003 07:26 #8

  • mystic

    Robert
    the only thing I can say is well why would anyone use the product to make a copy if it takes 10 hour for a high quality copy not the one hour sound and view off by 10 seconds sorry but my 10 hours are worth a whole lot more see unless you incode the dvd it only works on computers so it'll still take forever to boot leg dvds which is good .... i'll spend the $15 - 20. thats not even 15 mins out of my days pay .. thanks anyway the only thing this program is good for is to back up the kids dvds befor they get thrown around the floor out of the playstation like frizbees....

    14.2.2003 08:51 #9

  • loaded

    Yeah mystic, we would all be with you, if only we understood what you were saying!

    Seriously though, I have promised to keep my 'opinions' out of this particular debate, as I don't want to damage Afterdawn or 321 studios.

    Opinions are like assholes, I always say, everyone has them!

    I will offer a thought, though : I would submit that the majority (perhaps all) of the full $99 paying users of DVDxCOPY are legitimately backing up their own DVDs, however, any users using cracked/hacked/pirated versions (yes, sorry, Robert, it can happen to you too) almost certainly are not.

    PS : Mystic, you are earning $80 an hour? What are you a copyright lawyer :-D

    Paul.

    Now ask yourself, does that make me less dangerous...or more dangerous?

    14.2.2003 09:35 #10

  • Jaybo

    To All,

    Read my posts at the forum for DVDXcopy.


    Good Luck,
    Jaybo

    14.2.2003 14:26 #11

  • A_Klingon

    Mystic, no offense -- I don't know what program you *think* you are using, but if it's taking you 10 hours to make a backup with off-sync audio and video, then you are *not* using dvdxcopy. In fact, if it's taking you ten hours to make a single backup, you need to find something else.

    15.2.2003 08:21 #12

  • Dela

    HomerJ, I couldn't agree more with you that our rights are being forgotten and we do need to stand up and protect them!! I fail to see where DVDXCopy is an illegal product also, I mean, wouldn't that make programs like Nero illegal too?? or even make vcr's illegal??. Also, 321studios are hardly going to offer a $10,000 reward if they believe there is a chance that loads of people are going to be found making illegal copies of movies with DVDXCopy. Also is it not true that DVDXCopy will not copy a copy??

    Another thing 321studios could try sometime is make their products capable of only making one backup of a specific disk (if thats even possible) just so they can laugh at the MPAA's accusations then! ;-).

    15.2.2003 12:51 #13

  • netstile

    That would not be that good of an Idea. What if your backup copy has problems. If this was in effect why not the studios make there dvd's play one time than terminate. That would not be a good thing. Also I have to add I am a collector of DVD films and have over 260 films that date back 6 years that are showing signs of age that start with spots and blemishes. And I am a very strong suporter of DVDXCopy for my collection. But I think a few questions for 321 should be issued in cases there company is to be closed to the public and hope that day will never come. How will 321 structure current costomers and will they be issued a refund? Will Current registored costomers be liable for there purchase of DVDXCOPY. I also hope current costomers will be grandfathered for future costomer assistance. I guess my bottom line question to 321 is "IF" things go bad, will my investment in 321 protected.

    16.2.2003 19:47 #14

  • netstile

    Also, I have not tried yet. But am I able to make a backup copy of my DVDXCOPY. I would hope 321 can insure this task possible if they truly stand for back up of purchased products. And if 321 is deemed not a legal product how will I reload my product on my new pc in the future. Thanks for your time and hope these questions are made readable to 321.

    16.2.2003 20:09 #15

  • Dela

    Quote:That would not be that good of an Idea. What if your backup copy has problems. If this was in effect why not the studios make there dvd's play one time than terminate. That would not be a good thing.Thats a completely different thing. Maybe limiting to one backup is very limited but the idea would have been to show that this product is not at all intended for piracy. It was actually a joke suggestion so I found it kind of funny when someone dissed it :P

    Afterdawn is run by great people who have ran this site perfectly for 3 years helping literally millions of people. The price of running this web site is very high so please visit some sponsors or consider a donation!

    17.2.2003 09:10 #16

  • TLH2

    Netstile, on the DVDXCOPY page, it was stated that a unlock code would be released via the internet. Per Robert Moore, "Absolutely Not! If they shut us down, a permanent activation code will be released to the net."

    See thread http://dvdxcopy.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/12226 for more information

    17.2.2003 13:14 #17

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