Back to the future
RealNetworks, maker of the Real Player, recently announced an innovatio
n for the latest upgrade of their product: the ability to record an online video stream.
In essence the feature will prevent content owners from content owners from allowing their content to be viewed but not stored by the user.
Inevitably it has led to something of a tizz. The boss of IPTV player Brightcove has condemned the feature for encouraging ‘illegal piracy’ (as opposed to ‘legal piracy’?)
In the 70s Disney and Universal sued Sony after the introduction of the Betamax on the grounds that the video recorder would also lead to piracy. The content owners lost. Will there be a similar battle this time?
Via Cinematech.
Posted by: Sam at mid-avo on Friday, 29th June 2007
It's like a copyright merry-go-round where the only winners are the lawyers. Hurrah!
Posted by: Ben