MattOzan writes "Judge Marilyn Hall Patel was unswayed by RealNetworks' defense of their product under the Fair Use Doctrine, as she declared RealDVD illegal and barred its distribution. As she said in her ruling, 'So while it may well be fair use for an singular customer to store a backup copy of a privately owned DVD on that individual's computer, a federal law has nonetheless made it illegal to manufacture or traffic in a device or tool that permits a user to make such copies.' She also said RealNetworks was aware of the at loggerheads between their agreement and their plans for the software: 'Real did not elect to return (or destroy, with apt certification) the CSS General Specifications after it recognized them, as Real had a right to do under the agreement... This practice indicates that Real understood it to be bound by the CSS General Specifications as well as the other industrial specifications sanctioned after execution of the CSS License Agreement.'"

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Mark