AfterDawn: News

MPAA gets money from 321 Studios to fight piracy

MPAA has announced that it has reached a settlement with the late DVD backup software vendor 321 Studios, which ceased all operations last week.

With the agreement 321 Studios will make a substantial payment to movie industry's anti piracy campaign. The settlement also demands 321 Studios to stop selling its software -- which it already did.



"321 Studios built its business on the flawed premise that it could profit from violating the motion picture studios' copyrights," MPAA CEO Jack Valenti says in a prepared statement. "This is not the end of the story in our massive fight against piracy."

The exact amount of the settlement was not announced.

Source: PCWorld

Written by: Jari Ketola @ 11 Aug 2004 12:11

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• 22 comments

• punx777

  i dont really understand this? did 321 pay off the mpaa to let the software be sold or what?

  11.8.2004 13:07 #1

• Ketola

  That's quite an interesting assessment since 321 Studios has shut down. So they won't be doing any selling, that's for sure. It remains to be seen what the future of the software itself will be, or if there will be a future at all.
  
  The fact remains that DVD backups are perfectly legal in most of the world where legislation hasn't managed to step on consumer rights too much.

  11.8.2004 16:44 #2

• Ne007

  I find this funny. Didn't I read somewhere that the MPAA gave 321 a shitload of money to NOT sell its software in other parts of the world?
  
  "here's a shitload of money...now give me a little back..."

  12.8.2004 02:10 #3

• Toiletman

  Yes, something to help us fight against piracy, which maybe bad for some of you guys here....

  12.8.2004 08:17 #4

• Dela

  321 is looking out for 321, robert is looking out for robert. You really think he cares about piracy? You really think 321 studio's care about piracy? pffft, whatever!
  Quote:Yes, something to help us fight against piracy, which maybe bad for some of you guys here.... What exactly is that supposed to mean? Remember I respresent every user on aD so I want an explanation for that remark about "some of you guys"!

  12.8.2004 08:57 #5

• Toiletman

  What I mean is.... you cannot deny the fact that some of the registered members on this wonderful AfterDawn site are going to use the information that was intended for backupping, for piracy. I don't deny it either.
  
  So, in other words, it was just a comment to those pirates out there.
  
  P.S. On a personal note, Dela, if you think I'm trying to accuse you of piracy, that's a big No-No. Because I don't.

  12.8.2004 09:51 #6

• nik99

  yo toilet...wats with the 'you guys'
  as far as i remember you were siding the 'you guys' in your numerous rants against RIAA and xyz and whateva

  12.8.2004 10:22 #7

• Dela

  Toilet, while that fact may be true, it doesnt give me, or you, or even the admins the right to say it. Superior attitudes at aD are what's ruining this whole forum mate, i think people just need to stay out of each others business dont you think? While your comment wasnt exactly anything offending, im just trying to kill the attitude on the forum if u know what i mean? The guys who go from thread to thread thinking they are better than everyone else, correcting everyone else, condemning them for things that they probably do themselves lol of course im not accusing you of this at all, i know you and i know thats not the way u are! lol

  12.8.2004 10:55 #8

• john179

  Personally i think all this money which 321 have given away has gone to the wrong people.Why should the movie industry get money thrown at it when it is one of the richest industries in the world.No the money should have been given to the staff who are now out of work.I can just imagine it now some guy going home to tell his family he his jobless.He may have only worked in the despatch department or something and he may have previously been out of work for a while.He thought life was on the up until this happened.His wife ask's him did you get a bit extra out of the company to tie us over.No just my week in hand but hey the movie industry got a nice lump.Sick if you ask me as the rich just seem to get richer and the despatch man well he will just stay poor no damage done.The guy did is job and he got what he was worth i do not think so.
  John179

  12.8.2004 12:09 #9

• Dela

  as i said, 321 only care about 321, robert is out for robert :-)

  12.8.2004 12:17 #10

• jahern

  I'm a teacher and sometimes I wonder if what is written is what is intended. Shouldn't the line read "..321 Studios which CEASED operations" or is the story talking about a seizure "seized operations"?

  12.8.2004 13:09 #11

• Dela

  Quote:11 August 2004 16:11 by KetolaKetola is finnish, please excuse little mistakes ;-)

  12.8.2004 13:54 #12

• Ketola

  Thanks for pointing out my mistake, Jahern! Like Dela pointed out, I'm Finnish, so I have a tendency to write words phonetically, which leads to strange/funny/whatever "typos" (cease, 'sEs, seize, 'sEz) at times. =)
  
  I'm always happy to correct what ever errors, so please do keep pointing them out!

  12.8.2004 14:07 #13

• jahern

  Despite my best efforts, I do have a tendency to point things out a little too much. But I honestly wasn't positive of the meaning, so I posted my question. I really will try never to point little mistakes that I know are little mistakes.
  
  Thanks for the info

  12.8.2004 15:21 #14

• domie

  321 is giving money to the MPAA//money which it took from paying cutomers who paid up to $99 for a product that was based on a stolen collection of freeware tools from the net and which resulted in some of the most dsastrous releases and "upgrades" ever seen in the software world.
  We all remember the 1 hour waiting on telephone lines for help and the never answered emails and the endless promises of "it will be ready next week" as well as the infinte waiting periods for a refund...let's hope that this great site is a little more choosy in future when it comes to picking advertising sponsors...clone dvd is a step in the right direction despite its recent problems.

  12.8.2004 17:36 #15

• domie

  321 is giving money to the MPAA//money which it took from paying cutomers who paid up to $99 for a product that was based on a stolen collection of freeware tools from the net and which resulted in some of the most disastrous releases and "upgrades" ever seen in the software world.
  We all remember the 1 hour waiting on telephone lines for help and the never answered emails and the endless promises of "it will be ready next week" as well as the infinte waiting periods for a refund...let's hope that this great site is a little more choosy in future when it comes to picking advertising sponsors...clone dvd is a step in the right direction despite its recent problems.

  12.8.2004 17:36 #16

• Dela

  domie, Amen to that *applause* we all remember DVDCopyPlus, Shame on you 321.
  
  As for the site sponsors, unfortunately in the business world the one that pays the most wins, and web hosting etc costs a lot, especially for sites that require multi terabytes of traffic a month, but I know exactly what you mean, I wasnt very happy either and I'll be honest about it when I saw the 321 ad's first!

  12.8.2004 17:57 #17

• Toiletman

  I apologise for the slip of the tongue. I am not perfect. Sorry again.

  12.8.2004 22:12 #18

• negatyve

  This is the absolute PERFECT example of the flawed copyright law. That a copyright holder can shut down and profit substantially by attacking any genuine business that violates the laws they write. When you have lobbiests influence the laws to the point where they're practically written by the entertainment industry and then those laws are used NOT to protect rights but to make more profit in lawsuit settlements...you know we have a serious problem. The RIAA is suing consumers, the MPAA is shutting down small software vendors...it's practically the same thing, lives are ruined in each scenario so that the entertainment industry can make thousands of dollars in settlement funds.
  
  The entertainment industry starts losing profits from piracy, so instead of innovating the market, they create a market of lawsuit profiteering. Why is it that EVERYONE in the world thought it was ridicilous when that woman sued mc donalds for 10mil because she spilt her coffee but it isn't when the entertainment industry sues it's consumers and small business people with the same profit motives in mind?
  
  "321 Studios built its business on the flawed premise that it could profit from violating the motion picture studios' copyrights," MPAA CEO Jack Valenti says in a prepared statement. "This is not the end of the story in our massive fight against piracy."
  or
  "The entertainment industry built its business on the flawed premise that it could profit from writing laws and filing lawsuits based upon them," everyone else in the world said in a prepared statement. "This is not the end of the story in our massive fight against copyright reform"

  13.8.2004 09:55 #19

• hijacker

  So, is the MPAA going to buy-out dvd-backup software companys? so nobody can back-up software?.Did Robert Moore sell-out to these guys.I understand preventing piracy, but what about other software companys are they next.Are they going to sell-out too?

  15.8.2004 05:32 #20

• buzzoon

  Who started the rumour about 3-2-1 giving money to the MPAA? To me, that sounds ridiculous.
  
  As others have stated here, Moore was out for Moore only. He didn't give a rat's behind about "fair use" rights or his customers. It was all talk to get us to pay the high price for his shareware bundle thinking some of this money was going to the cause.
  
  He got rich and got out. His loyal customers and staff got hosed.
  
  And, his entire operation was based on selling a product that was illegal before he even started his company. I recall him saying on another forum that when he started 3-2-1 he had no idea of what the DMC Act was. If this is true (which I don't believe for a second), then it shows that he is not a very smart businessman ... most of us do a little research before jumping in.

  15.8.2004 16:16 #21

• Rick210

  It is just naive to think that DVDX Copy can be used for piracy. Its too slow for that purpose. Real pirates probably use duplicators to mass copy/produce. Some people seem to forget that the aim of piracy is to make money and lots of it. Using 321 software for this is counterproductive. THis is simply a case of the BIG boys flexing their muscles in a disgusting way. The sofeware is very useful if not essential for home users to make bhckups.Perhaps we should start boycotting buying commercial dvds.

  17.8.2004 01:22 #22