Another One Bites the Dust

Thanks to Copernic for the heads up on this news item.

The popular DVD ripping tool DVD Decrypter has ceased all activities following an order by an as yet unnamed company. The author of the program, known only as LIGHTNING UK! had originally put up a notice on his website but that his since been taken offline. It seems the battle is far from over, with the record companies and film industry closing in on every tool and peer to peer software. I very much doubt this will be the last we hear of similar actions taken against other popular tools that are released on the basis of 'back up your DVD'.

What started as a bit of fun, putting a GUI around some existing code, turned into something that I can only describe as 'part of me' – yes, I know that's sad ;-) As I"ve recently been made aware (by a letter, hand delivered to my door, last Tuesday), due to some law that was changed back in October 2003, circumventing copy protection isn"t allowed.

Ok so it has taken a while (almost 2 years), but eventually "a certain company" has decided they don"t like what I"m doing (circumventing their protection) and have come at me like a pack of wolves. I"ve no choice but to cease everything to do with DVD Decrypter.I realise this is going to be one of those "that sucks - fight them!" kinda things, but at the end of the day, it"s my life and I"m not about to throw it all away (before it has even really started) attempting to fight a battle I can"t possibly win.