AfterDawn: News

Warner Bros. sued over stealing anti-piracy tech

In an ironic twist, Warner Bros. has been sued this week for stealing an anti-piracy technology patent.

Medien Patent Verwaltung(MPV) of Germany is the company doing the accusing, saying Warner and Technicolor began unlawfully using the technology after it was shown to them in 2003.



The studio was shown the technology, which is "a method of marking films with a distinctive code so it could track back sources of piracy to the exact theater in which an unauthorized copy originated," in 2003, says TheHollywoodReporter.

Warner has been using it without paying an licensing fees since 2004, adds the complaint.

Says MPV: "We disclosed our anti-piracy technology to Warner Bros. in 2003 at their request, under strict confidentiality, expecting to be treated fairly. Instead, they started using our technology extensively without our permission and without any accounting to us. However, we had taken care to obtain patents to protect MPV's technology, and we are now in a position where we must assert our rights."

Warner has not yet commented.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 24 May 2010 23:33

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• 31 comments

• ROMaster2

  Oh the irony.

  24.5.2010 23:46 #1

• Buga

  How funny.
  
  I say WB should have to pay out $7,600 per DVD they put the anti-tech on. Why not.... lol

  25.5.2010 00:02 #2

• Tristan_2

  This is going to be a fun lawsuit
  

  25.5.2010 00:09 #3

• Deadrum33

  Don't pirate our movies. it is OK to pirate other peoples things, just not ours.
  

  
  
  http://www.myspace.com/livingdeadband

  25.5.2010 00:38 #4

• nonoitall

  You know what they say - no honor among thieves.
  

  25.5.2010 01:32 #5

• KillerBug

  I'm not sure what is better...someone stealing anti-theft technology, or someone being robbed as they try to sell anti-theft technology.

  25.5.2010 03:09 #6

• H0bbes

  Originally posted by KillerBug: I'm not sure what is better...someone stealing anti-theft technology, or someone being robbed as they try to sell anti-theft technology.
  
  For some reason that reminds me of people who try to pirate AnyDVD in order to pirate movies...seems a little twisted.
  

  "It’s as if McGruff the Crime Dog snuck into our basement, enlisted an army of cellar rats to eat up all of our cheese, and then burned the house down when we finally locked him out – instead of just knocking on the front door to tell us the window was open." ~Revision3 CEO Jim Louderback

  25.5.2010 11:37 #7

• Pop_Smith

  Originally posted by Buga: How funny.
  
  I say WB should have to pay out $7,600 per DVD they put the anti-tech on. Why not.... lol The anti-piracy technology is for theaters, not DVDs/Blu-Rays. It's supposed to make it so the MPAA can track a CAM to the exact theater that it was recorded at. However, this means Warner Bros. should pay $6,250 per theater that it was used in from the time they started using it.
  
  This means if an average movie is shown in 3,000 theaters with them releasing 10 movies per year since 2004 they should pay MPV $1,125,000,000 if we're using the MPAA's "One download equals one sale loss" logic.
  

  http://www.megavideo.com/?v=V1VZAD0O <-- Brian Regan "Take Luck" video.
  
  "The only people who should buy Monster cable are people who light cigars with Benjamins." - Gizmodo

  25.5.2010 12:05 #8

• Dapsone

  Oh My F'ing God how hilarious is this...... as said above, the irony.... but, really, is anyone surprised? I think not.

  25.5.2010 17:52 #9

• bobiroc

  Wow.. Movie companies and the MPAA and RIAA outlash at people for stealing and pirating and these big companies are just as guilty. That is ironic. Sounds like they need to practice what they preach.
  
  I have a plan. people will stop pirating when the companies that produce the material can be honest and actually produce quality material and deliver it to the people in a media format they like and keep it affordable.
  

  AMD Phenom II 965 @ 3.6Ghz, 8GB DDR3, ATI Radeon 5770HD, 300GB 10,000RPM Raptor, 2TB Additional HDD, Windows 7 Ultimate.

  25.5.2010 17:52 #10

• blueboy09

  Originally posted by Deadrum33: Don't pirate our movies. it is OK to pirate other peoples things, just not ours. Of, course that's what America is all about. Taking advantage of other people and businesses with means to screw other people and businesses out of competition and money. Irony indeed for WB!
  

  Life is about walking on thin ice, if you make too much drama, youll crack under pressure. - BLUEBOY

  25.5.2010 20:20 #11

• Ryoohki

  even if mpv sues warner bros and wins, they won't get much. warner bros will get what amounts to a slap on the wrist just like microsoft did when they were clearly infringing on someone's xml patents. the law says screw the little guy.
  

  25.5.2010 20:21 #12

• KillerBug

  The movie studios know you would have to be a moron to pay for IP...so they steal the technology to try to prevent others from stealing their IPs!
  
  As for people stealing AnyDVD, that seems very appropriate; the strange thing would be paying for it; as that would be paying to pirate! I suspect most of their paying customers are people who just want to backup their DVDs, and are not pirates at all.

  25.5.2010 23:43 #13

• iamgq

  Germans always trying to make a buck.

  26.5.2010 06:58 #14

• KillerBug

  Americans always trying to steal a buck.

  27.5.2010 22:49 #15

• plazma247

  As completely funny, ironic and making my week, month, no year, i think we have all over looked something here.
  
  What if they did lose and they had to pay out, whos going to really pay.... ? it will be us the ugly and unwashed masses, as im sure they will just screw us all harder to keep those projected profits ontrack.

  28.5.2010 13:43 #16

• bobshell

  Originally posted by plazma247: As completely funny, ironic and making my week, month, no year, i think we have all over looked something here.
  
  What if they did lose and they had to pay out, whos going to really pay.... ? it will be us the ugly and unwashed masses, as im sure they will just screw us all harder to keep those projected profits ontrack.
  
  If they lose then they will gain it back by overcharging us poor viewers.
  

  28.5.2010 17:43 #17

• KillerBug

  Originally posted by bobshell: Originally posted by plazma247: As completely funny, ironic and making my week, month, no year, i think we have all over looked something here.
  
  What if they did lose and they had to pay out, whos going to really pay.... ? it will be us the ugly and unwashed masses, as im sure they will just screw us all harder to keep those projected profits ontrack.
  
  If they lose then they will gain it back by overcharging us poor viewers. Let 'em raise prices...blank DVDs and BluRays will just keep getting cheaper. That price that BestBuy charges means nothing to me.

  29.5.2010 00:29 #18

• dufas

  The movie industry has been stealing for years and years. Script ideas, royalties, blackmail, tax evasion, even outright theft of money has littered the industry's past. They have always lived and acted in their own low morality and self interest and expect everyone else to act in the industry's interest also. Sort of like the Mafia, "We can screw you but you had better not screw us" mentality..
  
  Remember,.....The first Batman movie was, for a while, the highest grossing movie ever....but, through creative bookkeeping, it didn't even break even and not one cent of taxes was paid. Little tricks like start a new company that you own and have this new company do something like build an expensive set which you then rent to yourself then sell the company to your spouse at a loss then your spouse files the company for bankruptcy.The money, as far as accounting goes, gets lost but in reality, remains in your pocket without paying any taxes.. There are other methods they use all the time to give the illusion of a loss....

  31.5.2010 13:29 #19

• nipuncool

  It's a funny news. Isn't it funny that someone's stealing anti-theft technology, or someone's being robbed while trying to sell anti-theft technology. :D
  

  31.5.2010 14:20 #20

• banjar

  edited by ddp

  31.5.2010 23:27 #21

• ddp

  banjar, post edited due to stupidity.
  

  31.5.2010 23:41 #22

• Jemborg

  Originally posted by KillerBug: As for people stealing AnyDVD, that seems very appropriate; the strange thing would be paying for it; as that would be paying to pirate! I suspect most of their paying customers are people who just want to backup their DVDs, and are not pirates at all. There is another reason for using AnyDVD_HD, that is because it makes all your hardware components work properly together. That DRM can stuff them up. Also, I believe there is less CPU usage with AnyDVD.
  

  Its a lot easier being righteous than right.
  
  
  

  1.6.2010 00:50 #23

• KillerBug

  Originally posted by Jemborg: Originally posted by KillerBug: As for people stealing AnyDVD, that seems very appropriate; the strange thing would be paying for it; as that would be paying to pirate! I suspect most of their paying customers are people who just want to backup their DVDs, and are not pirates at all. There is another reason for using AnyDVD_HD, that is because it makes all your hardware components work properly together. That DRM can stuff them up. Also, I believe there is less CPU usage with AnyDVD. I wouldn't know; I have never used it for anything but ripping; I turn it off the rest of the time. From what I understand, it does not remove HDCP...otherwise I would get a HDMI capture card.

  1.6.2010 05:30 #24

• DADEO1

  Originally posted by Pop_Smith: Originally posted by Buga: How funny.
  
  I say WB should have to pay out $7,600 per DVD they put the anti-tech on. Why not.... lol The anti-piracy technology is for theaters, not DVDs/Blu-Rays. It's supposed to make it so the MPAA can track a CAM to the exact theater that it was recorded at. However, this means Warner Bros. should pay $6,250 per theater that it was used in from the time they started using it.
  
  This means if an average movie is shown in 3,000 theaters with them releasing 10 movies per year since 2004 they should pay MPV $1,125,000,000 if we're using the MPAA's "One download equals one sale loss" logic. Originally posted by Pop_Smith: Originally posted by Buga: How funny.
  
  I say WB should have to pay out $7,600 per DVD they put the anti-tech on. Why not.... lol The anti-piracy technology is for theaters, not DVDs/Blu-Rays. It's supposed to make it so the MPAA can track a CAM to the exact theater that it was recorded at. However, this means Warner Bros. should pay $6,250 per theater that it was used in from the time they started using it.
  
  This means if an average movie is shown in 3,000 theaters with them releasing 10 movies per year since 2004 they should pay MPV $1,125,000,000 if we're using the MPAA's "One download equals one sale loss" logic. I agree, however, how about per customers per showing.

  1.6.2010 06:44 #25

• Pop_Smith

  Originally posted by KillerBug: I wouldn't know; I have never used it for anything but ripping; I turn it off the rest of the time. From what I understand, it does not remove HDCP...otherwise I would get a HDMI capture card. AnyDVD HD does remove the HDCP requirement from the BluRay/HD DVD in your optical drive. See this post over at SlySoft.
  

  http://www.megavideo.com/?v=V1VZAD0O <-- Brian Regan "Take Luck" video.
  
  "The only people who should buy Monster cable are people who light cigars with Benjamins." - Gizmodo

  1.6.2010 12:48 #26

• Jemborg

  Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by Jemborg: Originally posted by KillerBug: As for people stealing AnyDVD, that seems very appropriate; the strange thing would be paying for it; as that would be paying to pirate! I suspect most of their paying customers are people who just want to backup their DVDs, and are not pirates at all. There is another reason for using AnyDVD_HD, that is because it makes all your hardware components work properly together. That DRM can stuff them up. Also, I believe there is less CPU usage with AnyDVD. I wouldn't know; I have never used it for anything but ripping; I turn it off the rest of the time. From what I understand, it does not remove HDCP...otherwise I would get a HDMI capture card. I usually leave it on as it does nothing but suck up a tiny bit of RAM (as do the vast majority of services that people mistakenly turn off).
  
  Yes, I've had direct personal experience with that component business... in regards to playing legitimate rented BluRays. All the components are meant to be HDCP compliant but still won't work without said app.
  
  It's strange, after your comment I turned off AnyDVD_HD and had a go at playing a few of my BluRay rips off HDD... they played fine, including the recent Avatar. However, District9 did not. Still, I have trouble playing that particular rip at the best of times anyway... I reckon my players might need a reinstall (bad update). So I conclude that's wrong, it has to remove the protections from the rip.
  
  Never heard of a HDMI capture card, not sure what you'd use it for. Unless you don't have a BluRay optical drive in your poot. Do you only have a PS3 or something? Regardless, AnyDVD is just for optical disks only. Else your talking about recording HDTV... which I do all the time. Actually, two stations at once with the twin tuner PCI card I have.
  

  Its a lot easier being righteous than right.
  
  
  

  1.6.2010 16:29 #27

• FreddyF

  Originally posted by dufas: The movie industry has been stealing for years and years. Script ideas, royalties, blackmail, tax evasion, even outright theft of money has littered the industry's past. They have always lived and acted in their own low morality and self interest and expect everyone else to act in the industry's interest also. Sort of like the Mafia, "We can screw you but you had better not screw us" mentality..
  
  Remember,.....The first Batman movie was, for a while, the highest grossing movie ever....but, through creative bookkeeping, it didn't even break even and not one cent of taxes was paid. Little tricks like start a new company that you own and have this new company do something like build an expensive set which you then rent to yourself then sell the company to your spouse at a loss then your spouse files the company for bankruptcy.The money, as far as accounting goes, gets lost but in reality, remains in your pocket without paying any taxes.. There are other methods they use all the time to give the illusion of a loss.... Oddly, the Government doesn't seem interested in trying to fix this problem and collect the trillions in taxes they are loosing from this obvious fraud that the industry brags about.
  

  23.9.2011 04:51 #28

• FreddyF

  Deleted.
  

  23.9.2011 04:54 #29

• ddp

  FreddyF, why do you have 2 posts in a row which is a forum rule violation?
  12. Repeated posts to increase total number of posts is not allowed. Especially if your message is the last in the thread, edit it rather than post a new message.
  http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/2487
  

  23.9.2011 22:04 #30

• FreddyF

  Originally posted by ddp: FreddyF, why do you have 2 posts in a row which is a forum rule violation?
  12. Repeated posts to increase total number of posts is not allowed. Especially if your message is the last in the thread, edit it rather than post a new message.
  http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/2487 Sorry, the intent was not to increase total number of posts, I have not seen any advantage to that, I was only attempting to keep seperate ideas in seperate posts. I will delete one and avoid this in the future.
  

  24.9.2011 06:54 #31