According to an article on p2pnet.net, a French court has banned the use of DRM technologies. Comments from any readers on that side of the pond would be appreciated. Snippets:
In a decision sure to reverberate loudly throughout the international music industry, France's Paris Court of Appeals has decided embedding digital rights management (DRM) software in DVDs is incompatible with an individual's right to make copies for his/her private use.
Now, Les Films Alain Sarde and Studio Canal have one month to strip copy-protection technology from their DVDs, says 01.net.
On top of that, Alain Sarde and Universal Pictures Video France have been ordered to financially recompense a man who'd copied David Lynch's Mulholland Drive, and French consumer rights association UFC-Que Choisir, who'd defended him.
In a case involving French consumer rights association UFC-Que Choisir and Les Films Alain Sarde and Studio Canal, UFC-Que Choisir acted for a movie lover who wanted to copy Mulholland Drive (produced by Alain Sarde and Studio Canal) to watch with his mother, who doesn't have a DVD player.
"In France, people are authorized to make copies of works as long as they're only for private use," says Ratiatum's Guillaume Champeau. "French copyright law is quite clear on that."
In its decision, the appeals court also ruled that DVD producers have failed to fully inform customers in that the indication "CP" for copy protected was found to be so small size as to make it hard to see.
"As a result of the judgement ... Alain Sarde and Universal Pictures Video France must pay the individual concerned 100 euros in reparation and they and Studio Canal have to pay him a further 150 euros, as well as 1,500 euros to UFC-Que Choisir," says 01.net, adding that the Syndicat de l'édition vidéo is considering, "taking the case to the next level of the judiciary".
