Copying Software

Following Court's Ban on Game Copying Software, 321 Studios Shuts Down

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 3, 2004 - 3:50am.

St. Louis -- Following a federal court's ruling last week banning sales of its software that let users make copies of video game discs, St. Louis-based 321 Studios has ceased operations, according to a note on the company's website. 321 was sued by game developers including Electronic Arts, Atari and Vivendi Universal Games for its GamesXCopy software; a judge issued an injunction against the sale of the application on Thursday. The company also lost two publicized lawsuits filed by the major movie studios over its DVDXCopy software, which allowed consumers to defeat copyright controls to make copies of DVD movies. "Despite 321 Studios' best efforts to remain in business, injunctions entered against 321 Studios by three US Federal courts earlier this year has resulted in 321 Studios no longer being able to continue operating the business," reads a note on the company's website. The company is holding an online close-out sale for its remaining inventory, save for those products whose sale is banned by court order.

Studios File Second Suit Against Maker of DVD Copying Software

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 3, 2003 - 6:43am.

St. Louis -- 321 Studios, a distributor of software that circumvents the security code on DVD movies to allow users to make back-up copies of the discs, said on Wednesday that two movie studios have filed a second copyright infringement lawsuit against the company, this time in the United States District Court in the Southern District of New York. Twentieth Century Fox and Paramount filed their lawsuit against 321 on Nov. 17. Previously, St. Louis-based 321 sued nine Hollywood studios in Northern California in April 2002, asking a judge to declare its software legal; the studios then countersued under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which makes it a crime to circumvent the copyright security on a digital device, such as a DVD. "Fox's and Paramount's actions can only be construed as legal manipulation of our justice system and further proof that the studios intend to get their way despite consumer wishes, judicial authority, or proper venue," said 321 president Robert Moore. The company has also been sued in the U.K., by that country's Motion Picture Association.

tags: DVD | Studios | Copying Software |