RealNetworks kills DVD software in copyright settlement

UNITED STATES – RealNetworks has agreed to end the sale of its DVD-copying software and pay US$4.5m to settle a copyright-infringement lawsuit filed by several Hollywood studios. The company, which specialises in internet video software, also agreed to drop its appeal of a federal court ruling that barred it from distributing or supporting RealDVD or any other technology that enables the duplication of copyrighted content. The Motion Picture Association of America had sued Real in 2008 over software which allowed users to circumvent safeguards against DVD-copying in order to duplicate movies.