The company Media Rights Technology (MRT) are suing Apple, Microsoft, Real and Adobe under the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) because they won’t use their technology. The DMCA makes software designed to circumvent copy protection illegal. It all hinges around MRT’s X1 SeCure Recording Control software which, according to them at least, is effective against the ripping of streaming media. MRT’s court case is based on the fact that these companies have been “actively avoiding the use of MRT’s technologies”. MRT are now claiming that because of this refusal to use their software these companies software is designed to facilitate piracy and therefore illegal. This is obviously totally laughable and if the American courts have even an ounce of sense left it will get thrown out of court. However, it is a dangerous case because if it wins it will mean that the DMCA makes DRM compulsory. This is also an interesting attempt to build a monopoly for MRT through legal action. Their business must really be suffering if they have to resort to abusing the DMCA to force companies to use their software. One has to ask what legal standing they have to even bring this case. This has the potential to set some very dangerous precedents. Lets hope common sense wins out in the America legal system for once.

[tags]DRM[/tags]