RealDVD Promises Legal DVD Copying

RealNetworks' new RealDVD promises to let people legally rip their movie DVDs...by wrapping them in DRM that limits where the copies can be played.

RealNetworks is looking to get into the DVD copying business—only they hope to do it legally—with their new RealDVD application. RealDVD enables users to copy a standard DVD to a computer or portable storage device and watch them later without requiring the original physical disc. How can this be legal? RealDVD wraps the copy in digital rights management software (DRM) that restricts the copy to being played on the machine that performed the copy, and up to five machines authorized by a user using RealDVD.

“RealDVD gives consumers a great new way to get more out of their DVDs,” said RealNetworks’ chairman and CEO Rob Glaser, in a statement. “RealDVD continues in Real’s tradition of consumer innovation over the past 15 years alongside RealAudio, RealJukebox, RealArcade, Rhapsody, and, most recently, RealPlayer 11.”

According to RealNetworks, users can simultaneously watch and save a DVD to a PC, but otherwise making the protected copy takes between 10 to 40 minutes and takes up 4 to 9 GB of storage—numbers that will seem familiar to anyone who’s made copies of DVDs for personal backup purposes. Playback requires RealDVD software: users won’t be able to pull up the encrypted copies in Windows Media Player or other software—and right now RealDVD only supports Windows XP/Vista, so most portable players are out of the loop too. RealDVD also offers parental controls to ensure kids only see material that’s appropriate for them. RealNetworks says RealDVD will integrate with Windows Media Center PCs in the future.

RealDVD’s claim that the DVD copies it makes are legal stems from home theater gear maker Kaleidescape’s 2007 legal win over the movie industry. Kaleidescape was sued by the DVD Copy Association for making single copies of DVDs for personal use on its digital home theater systems, but a judge ruled that Kaleidescape was actually in compliance with the Content Scramble Systems’ license…thanks in part to poor wording. RealNetworks plainly hopes that making DRM copies of DVDs that can—in theory—only be used on a limited number of authorized machines won’t run afoul of the MPAA.

According to RealNetworks, RealDVD will be available later this month at a retail price of $49.99, although RealNetworks will knock $20 off that for a limited time to customer to register early. Up to four additional licenses can be purchased for $19.99 each.