Hollywood vs. RealNetworks. Could be the name of a blockbuster movie. Well, it is actually the trial that begins today and could very well determine the future of DVD ripping/copying.

The Motion Picture Association of America is not happy about RealNetwork's DVD ripping software, RealDVD (sales of the software were halted by a District Court back in October.). Along with products like DVD Cloner V and CloneDVD, this software enables what Hollywood calls "rent, rip, and return".  Consumers simply rent a movie, rip it to their hard drive and then send it back. The studios fear that if this technology becomes to widespread consumers will stop spending their money to purchase DVDs.

The Judge presiding over the case is the same guy who shut down The Digital Millennium Copyright Act is the law in question here.  The act makes software that enables piracy illegal.  RealNetworks will counter that their products aren't for piracy for backups and only allow for a single copy to be made of a given DVD.

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I can actually see both sides of the argument here. However, it does not appear to me that anyone in Hollywood is starving from an excess of piracy. Not sure where this will end up and what it will mean for DVD burning software, but for now there are some great products on the market so get em while you can.