Real's CEO argued that RealDVD, was "absolutely not" designed to facilitate the widespread mass copying of DVDs. "We were both designing our product and marketing our product for legitimate use," he said. "If they didn't want to be legitimate users, there were so many other alternatives they could go to and our product would be an inferior product."

The software was abruptly pulled from the market by court order after the major studios sued RealNetworks, just weeks after RealDVD was introduced in September 2008.

The legal dispute has pitted the technology industry against Hollywood. RealNetworks argues that its software simply gives legitimate users the freedom and convenience of storing their own DVDs on a PC, and with the motion picture industry arguing that RealDVD could be used to do things such as make illegal copies of rented DVDs.

Glaser said that his company had been in discussions with studios to create technology that would distinguish rented DVDs from store-bought ones.

RealNetworks also puts up reminders to users that they are not allowed to copy disks they do not own, Glaser said. The judge hearing the case, Marilyn Patel, then asked him if this effort would be more effective than the failed 1980s "Just say no" anti-drug campaign.