Film Studios Sue Over DVD Copying Software (Reuters)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...81&e=2&u=/nm/20030917/tc_nm/tech_copyright_dc

Film Studios Sue Over DVD Copying Software
Wed Sep 17, 5:59 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Paramount Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox sued
Tritton Technologies on Wednesday, accusing the company of distributing
software aimed at cracking technology used to prevent unlawful copying of
DVDs.

The suit, filed in Manhattan federal court, seeks a court order stopping
Irvine, California-based Tritton from distributing the software called
"DVD CopyWare." It also seeks unspecified damages.

Three Web site operators that offer to sell various DVD-copying software
are also named as defendants in the suit.

A spokesman for Tritton did not have any immediate comment.

Paramount, a unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIAB - news),and Twentieth Century Fox,
a unit of Fox Entertainment Group (NYSE:FOX - news), said that all the
defendants conduct business in New York.

The suit charges that the defendants violated the Digital Millennium
Copyright Act (news - web sites) that bars creating or distributing
technology that can be used to circumvent copyright protections on
software, movies and music.

The plaintiffs allege that Tritton's CopyWare software is designed to
circumvent a copy-protection system called the "Content Scramble System."

The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York has previously ruled
that the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act does not infringe on free
speech protections of the U.S. Constitution. Rulings by the Second
Circuit are binding on cases filed in Manhattan federal court.

Tritton, which describes itself as a manufacturer of high-end multimedia
products, announced in August that it would distribute DVD CopyWare in
North America.

According to a press release issued by the company DVD CopyWare is
"extremely powerful, affordable and easy-to-use and allows consumers to
backup their entire DVD collection, including Digital Signature Standard
(DSS) encoded movies without any loss in audio or video quality."