xbiz world
xbiz premiere

French Court Disallows Copyright Protection

PARIS — A French appeals court has issued a ruling that prohibits the use of Digital Rights Management technology on DVDs. The ruling, in essence, bans the use of DVD-based copyright-protection measures. The case began when a French man was unable to copy a DVD of the film “Mullholland Falls” to a VHS tape. Such private copying is considered a consumer right in France, despite the possibility of abuses such as redistribution of copyrighted materials. With the help of consumer-rights group UFC-Que Choisir, the man sued film companies Les Films Alain Sarde and Studio Canal that produced the DVD. A lower court ruled in favor of the film companies, but the appeals court sided with the man, awarding him nominal damages of 250 euros (around $250) and giving the studios one month to unprotect all of its DVDs — an order that could cost the studios hundreds of thousands of dollars. In its decision, the court cited the fact that the man had intended the copy for his private use; however, the court made no provision for protection against commercial uses of copied material. The court also chastised the film companies for not providing a prominent “copyright protected” label on the DVD case. A representative of UFC-Que Choisir said the organization plans to use the court’s decision to pursue action against other DVD makers. Jean-Yves Mirski, delegate general of France’s Video Producer’s Association, called the decision worrisome and said it “directly contradicts the European Copyright Directive.” He added that his group may appeal the decision after a thorough review. This is not the first time French courts have rejected conventional wisdom regarding electronic media, freedoms and copyrights. In January, a French court ruled that Google could not sell trademark names as keywords. More recently, French security researcher Guillaume Tena was fined 5,000 euros for posting a warning about a software security hole he had discovered through reverse engineering.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Adira Allure Toplines 'Hotwife POV 2' From Doghouse Digital

Adira Allure headlines the second volume of “Hotwife POV” from Mile High Media studio imprint Doghouse Digital.

Leilani Li Returns to Kink.com

Leilani Li stars with Jayson Parker in a new Kink.com scene titled “Office Thief Gets Fucked.”

Amber Bloom Makes Her Immoral Debut

Amber Bloom has made her debut for Immoral Productions, alongside Terry Banks, Matt Bird, Rob Hudson, and studio honcho “Porno Dan” Leal.

Canadian Privacy Commissioner Endorses National AV Bill

Philippe Dufresne, privacy commissioner of Canada, has voiced support for a bill that would impose fines of up to $500,000 on adult sites that do not implement age verification for Canadian viewers.

Katie Kush Stars in New Halloween-Themed Release From Elegant Angel

Katie Kush stars with reigning XMAs Male Performer of the Year Alex Jones in a new Halloween-themed scene from Elegant Angel, titled “The Legend of the Werewolf.”

Danni Jones Makes Her TeamSkeet Debut

Danni Jones makes her TeamSkeet debut in the latest episode of the studio series "MILF Drips," titled "Be A Good Assistant And Squirt On Your Boss's Dick," with performer/director Nicky Rebel.

Lucy Lotus Headlines 1st Release From Seth Gamble's 'Smashcore' Imprint

Lucy Lotus stars in the inaugural scene from Seth Gamble’s LucidFlix studio imprint Smashcore.

Cubbi Thompson Makes Her Hard X Debut

Cubbi Thompson has made her Hard X debut alongside 2024 XMAs Male Performer of the Year Zac Wild in the studio's latest release.

Penny Barber Stars in Latest From Girlsway

Reigning XMAs MILF Performer of the Year Penny Barber stars with Summer Col and Siouxsie Q in “Sneaky Checkup,” from Girlsway.

Industry Attorney Paul Cambria Retires After 50 Years of Practicing Law

After more than a half-century in practice, during which he provided the defense in some of the adult industry's most notable legal cases, attorney Paul Cambria has retired.

Show More