A maker of software that enabled users to copy DVDs and computer games folded under the mounting weight of lawsuits by deep-pocketed movie studios and video game producers.
In a posting on its Web site, 321 Studios Inc quietly announced on Tuesday that "it has ceased business operations including, but not limited to, the sale, support and promotion of our products."
The company said that despite its "best efforts to remain in business," unfavorable court rulings by three federal courts this year assured its demise.
"The employees and those associated with 321 Studios sincerely appreciate your support of our company and products over the last couple of years," said the statement by the "321 Studios Team."
The company, based in the St. Louis suburb of St. Charles, warned in June that it could seek federal bankruptcy protection to free itself of copyright-related lawsuits by Hollywood and makers of computer games.
Tuesday's announcement came just five days after 321 suffered another legal setback. On Thursday, a federal judge in New York imposed a worldwide ban on the production and distribution of 321's Games X Copy software, which had fetched US$60 and let users make what 321's Web site had called "a PERFECT backup copy of virtually any PC game."
The injunction came as part of a June lawsuit by three leading makers of video games, marking a new legal front against a company that already was at odds with Hollywood over its DVD-copying software.
Robert Moore, 321's founder and president, long had cast his crusade as a David-and-Goliath struggle, insisting his com-pany's software was meant to let consumers innocently make backup copies of their DVDs and computer games.
Hollywood and the computer-gaming companies -- Atari, Electronic Arts Inc and Vivendi Universal Games -- argued otherwise, accusing 321 of violating the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
That law bars circumvention of anti-
piracy measures used to protect DVDs and other technology.
Federal judges in New York and California have barred 321 from marketing the questioned DVD-cloning software.
Since those rulings, 321 has shipped retooled versions of its DVD-copying products, removing the software component required to descramble movies.
Even in possible bankruptcy, Moore has said, 321 would make good with creditors, satisfy customers seeking rebates and press its case against Hollywood that consumers "should have the right to make copies of their own legally obtained digital materials."
In its announcement on Tuesday, 321 said anyone seeking customer support should do so by Aug. 1 next year at the company's Web site, "where you should be able to resolve most of your concerns."
The company said it no longer can offer telephone, e-mail or live chat support for any of its products.
AIR SUPPORT: The Ministry of National Defense thanked the US for the delivery, adding that it was an indicator of the White House’s commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) and Representative to the US Alexander Yui on Friday attended a delivery ceremony for the first of Taiwan’s long-awaited 66 F-16C/D Block 70 jets at a Lockheed Martin Corp factory in Greenville, South Carolina. “We are so proud to be the global home of the F-16 and to support Taiwan’s air defense capabilities,” US Representative William Timmons wrote on X, alongside a photograph of Taiwanese and US officials at the event. The F-16C/D Block 70 jets Taiwan ordered have the same capabilities as aircraft that had been upgraded to F-16Vs. The batch of Lockheed Martin
GRIDLOCK: The National Fire Agency’s Special Search and Rescue team is on standby to travel to the countries to help out with the rescue effort A powerful earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighboring Thailand yesterday, killing at least three people in Bangkok and burying dozens when a high-rise building under construction collapsed. Footage shared on social media from Myanmar’s second-largest city showed widespread destruction, raising fears that many were trapped under the rubble or killed. The magnitude 7.7 earthquake, with an epicenter near Mandalay in Myanmar, struck at midday and was followed by a strong magnitude 6.4 aftershock. The extent of death, injury and destruction — especially in Myanmar, which is embroiled in a civil war and where information is tightly controlled at the best of times —
Taiwan was ranked the fourth-safest country in the world with a score of 82.9, trailing only Andorra, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar in Numbeo’s Safety Index by Country report. Taiwan’s score improved by 0.1 points compared with last year’s mid-year report, which had Taiwan fourth with a score of 82.8. However, both scores were lower than in last year’s first review, when Taiwan scored 83.3, and are a long way from when Taiwan was named the second-safest country in the world in 2021, scoring 84.8. Taiwan ranked higher than Singapore in ninth with a score of 77.4 and Japan in 10th with
China's military today said it began joint army, navy and rocket force exercises around Taiwan to "serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence," calling President William Lai (賴清德) a "parasite." The exercises come after Lai called Beijing a "foreign hostile force" last month. More than 10 Chinese military ships approached close to Taiwan's 24 nautical mile (44.4km) contiguous zone this morning and Taiwan sent its own warships to respond, two senior Taiwanese officials said. Taiwan has not yet detected any live fire by the Chinese military so far, one of the officials said. The drills took place after US Secretary
RSS