Judge Delays Ruling on RealNetworks, Streambox Case

The ongoing case between RealNetworks and Streambox was delayed today by a Seattle judge, citing more time was needed to look over the facts.

Judge Marsha Pechman will rule on RealNetworks' motion for a preliminary injunction on January 17th which prevents Streambox from distributing its Streambox VCR, Streambox Ripper, and Streambox Ferret software.

RealNetworks claims that Streambox's software bypasses copyright protection and infringes on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The DMCA, a law passed in 1998, prohibits software programs to thwart copy protection measures and creates the framework for Webcasting.At issue is whether Streambox violates the law by allowing content to be recorded and converted to WAV, MP3 or Windows Media format.

"RealNetworks brought thissuit to ensure that thousands of content holders who trust RealNetworks'software and systems can continue to rely on the copyright protection ensuredby the Digital Millennium Copyright Act," said Alex Alben, vice president ofGovernment Affairs, RealNetworks, Inc.