AfterDawn dumps DVD Decrypter
p2p news / p2pnet: Macrovision Corporation recently acquired the intellectual property rights in all versions of DVD Decrypter from its author, Lightning UK!
As the current owner of the intellectual property rights in DVD Decrypter Macrovision has contacted us to inform that "any license granted by Lightning UK! to AfterDawn for the distribution of any version of the Software [DVD Decrypter] is hereby terminated with immediate effect."
Even though the means used to acquire the rights to DVD Decrypter bore probably more resemblance to the common methods of the entertainment industry, we have no reason to object the request made by Macrovision.
They do, in any case, own the rights to the software, and are entitled to enforce any policy they see fit.
The DVD Decrypter install package will be removed from our servers by Sunday, November 27th, or as soon as it is technically possible.
After it’s development was ceased in June, DVD Decrypter has been surpassed by several other software, such as AnyDVD and DVDFab Decrypter.
One of the best features in DVD Decrypter was it’s image burning engine, which allowed the burned disc to be verified against the image file.
Luckily that feature is now available in Lightning UK!’s new software, ImgBurn.
dRD – AfterDawn
(Cheers, Petteri)
Where’s this at?
A ‘"certain company" has "decided they don"t like what I’m doing (circumventing their protection) and have come at me like a pack of wolves," said Lightning UK recently.
“I’ve no choice but to cease everything to do with DVD Decrypter.I realise this is going to be one of those ‘that sucks – fight them!’ kinda things, but at the end of the day, it"s my life and I"m not about to throw it all away (before it has even really started) attempting to fight a battle I can’t possibly win.”
Also read:-
can’t possibly win – DVD Decrypter bites the dust, June 6, 2005
November 24th, 2005 at 10:20 pm
Dvd Decrypter was excellent software and the author gave it to the world for free, just as Cohen did his software. I sympathize with the author for his plight.
It shows just what is wrong with the laws today and this will only get worse until these holes in the laws are address with some sort of common sense. A recent article here showed that even more than the cartels these laws that allow take downs are used more by companies seeking to protect their turf than it is for actual infringement. No real proof is needed for a take down, only a complaint. If the one recieving the take down feels it isn’t justified then it will cost him an arm, a leg, and a lot of aggravation to get it back up. It is far easier to issue a take down without proof than it is to get something falsely accused back on line.
At least in this case, we can hope that the author did a Cohen did and got something out of it, even after releasing it for free.
November 25th, 2005 at 5:35 am
dvd decryptor is damn near perfected. with dvd’s on the move out.. there will need to be something new anyways.. not like you cant find it just about anywhere.
November 26th, 2005 at 6:01 am
It’s just as well afterdawn.com removed DVD Decrypter from their servers.
I am a citizen of the united states and i can assure you if afterdawn.com was involved in the highly questionable takedown tactics the entertainment cartels in this country employ under the DMCA for alleged copyright imfringement Afterdawn.com would be PRESUMED GUILTY until proven innocent and in the end afterdawn.com would lose in court and would have to shell out $MILLIONS in restitution and legal fees.
This would be the case when finland’s new draconian copyright laws go into effect.
It would not be legal to distribute decss utilities on the internet.
I know afterdawn.com is not made out of money and after losing in court they would have to shutdown their website.
It’s just as well and it would not be worth it.
There are much better programs than DVD Decrypter anyway.
IT’S A OBSOLETE PROGRAM.
IT’S AN END OF A ERA…………………..
November 26th, 2005 at 10:47 am
“They do, in any case, own the rights to the software, and are entitled to enforce any policy they see fit.”
Not necessarily so. Programs that are distributed as freeware (or donorware) by the program’s author whereby the author spcifically allows the program to be copied or has no copying restrictions in the program or has no copyright notice, the program may in effect be in the public domain for distribution purposes.
If afterwards the author sell the program code to someone that someone cannot retract the freeware status of the program of the revisions issued as freeware. Once the genie is out of the bottle it cannot be placed back in.
Of course, new revisions which are not freeware can be issued by the new owner.
If a new owner of a freeware program purchased the program to remove it from the market, the new owner may have wasted his time and money.
Still, the new owner cannot enforce “any policy they see fit”. There is such a thing as copyright misuse, where the copyright holder tries to exploit a copyright with illegal license conditions.
Rafael Venegas
http://www.gvenegas.com