DRM Maker Sues Companies for Not Using its Products

No, it’s not suing them for using similar products… It’s suing them for not using their products. Period.

Apparently not using someone’s product is an offense of some kind.

MRT claims that Vista, Adobe Flash Player, Real Player, iTunes and the iPod have been produced “without regard for the DMCA or the rights of American Intellectual Property owners.” The DMCA, signed into law in 1998, makes it illegal to manufacture products that are designed to circumvent copy protection. Accordingly, MRT has filed Cease and Desist letters against Apple, Microsoft, Adobe and Real to stop production or sale of products that infringe on the DMCA.

MRT’s X1 SeCure Recording Control has proven effective against stream ripping, the company said in a statement, and these companies have been “actively avoiding the use of MRT’s technologies.”

Think of the precedent this one sets! If you don’t use someone’s product, you can now be sued for it.

I’d love to say some judge is going to hear this and go, “Are you kidding me? Case dismissed.”

On a different but related note, is this guy serious? Vista is produced without regard for copyright holders?

Someone needs to talk to Peter Gutmann.

[tags]visa, drm, mrt[/tags]