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Advanced Copyright Issues on the Internet - Fenwick & West LLP

Advanced Copyright Issues on the Internet - Fenwick & West LLP

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measures, but ra<strong>the</strong>r to run legitimate PlayStati<strong>on</strong> games, it should probably fall within <strong>the</strong>savings clause of Secti<strong>on</strong> 1201(c)(3). 660(ii)RealNetworks, Inc. v. Streambox Inc.On Dec. 20, 1999, RealNetworks, Inc., <strong>the</strong> developer and distributor of various versi<strong>on</strong>sof <strong>the</strong> “RealPlayer,” which embodied “streaming” technology that allowed <strong>Internet</strong> users toobtain real-time delivery and instant playback of audio and video c<strong>on</strong>tent over <strong>the</strong> <strong>Internet</strong>,brought suit against Streambox, Inc. 661 RealNetworks’ products embodied anti-piracytechnology. Specifically, RealNetworks supplied copyright holders with a product known as“RealProducer,” which c<strong>on</strong>verted ordinary audio and video files into digitized “RealAudio” and“RealVideo” files. RealNetworks also offered a “RealServer” product to copyright holders thatallowed <strong>the</strong>m to distribute <strong>the</strong>ir copyrighted material in a secure format designed to interact <strong>on</strong>lywith RealPlayers to fur<strong>the</strong>r prevent unauthorized access to copyrighted c<strong>on</strong>tent. 662RealNetworks based its complaint <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> following three products developed anddistributed by Streambox:“Streambox Ripper,” which c<strong>on</strong>verted any RealAudio file to a file in <strong>the</strong> format ofWindows Media Audio (WMA), MPEG-Layer 3 (MP3), or Microsoft WindowsWave Format (WAV). Once in any of <strong>the</strong>se three formats, an audio file could becopied, stored, or freely distributed, <strong>the</strong>reby circumventing RealNetworks’ securitymeasures. 663“Streambox VCR,” which mimicked a RealPlayer, tricking RealServers into interactingwith it and distributing both RealAudio and RealMedia files to it, <strong>the</strong>reby alsocircumventing <strong>the</strong> RealNetworks’ security measures. 664“Streambox Ferret,” which was supposedly designed to work with and enhance <strong>the</strong>functi<strong>on</strong>ality of RealPlayers. RealNetworks alleged, however, that Streambox Ferretreplaced <strong>the</strong> “snap.com” search engine <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> RealPlayer’s search bar with a“Streambox” logo that diverted those using <strong>the</strong> RealPlayer’s search functi<strong>on</strong> fromSnap’s search services (with whom RealNetworks had an exclusive arrangement) to acompeting service operated by Streambox. In additi<strong>on</strong>, RealNetworks alleged that660661662663664Band & Issihiki, supra note 611, at 8-9.Complaint for Violati<strong>on</strong> of The Digital Millennium <str<strong>on</strong>g>Copyright</str<strong>on</strong>g> Act, C<strong>on</strong>tributory, Vicarious and Direct<str<strong>on</strong>g>Copyright</str<strong>on</strong>g> Infringement, Tortious Interference with C<strong>on</strong>tract, and Lanham Act Violati<strong>on</strong>s, RealNetworks, Inc.v. Streambox Inc., No. C99-2070Z (W.D. Wa. Dec. 20, 1999), available as of Dec. 30, 1999 atwww.realnetworks.com/company/pressroom/pr/99/rnwk_complaint.html.Id. 6.Id. 12-13.Id. 17-19.- 160 -

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