It looks like Kaleidescape is getting ready to dominate the media server business once again -- and the DVD Copy Control Association (DVD CCA) is ok with that.
After a decade-long lawsuit with the DVD CCA, Kaleidescape just announced that the two parties have decided to stop the madness. The case was settled in the 6th District of the California State Court of Appeal and the Superior Court of Santa Clara County. As part of the agreement with the DVD CCA, which is the licensor of CSS (Content Scramble System) for DVD, any Kaleidescape system sold after November 30 will not be able to import CSS-protected DVDs.
That basically means that Kaleidescape products will only be able to play DVDs from the physical disc. Users will still be able to pop in a DVD and start playback at the beginning of the feature or jump to favorite scenes and/or songs.
Kaleidescape can continue to sell systems that import CSS-protected DVDs through November 29. In other words, now is the time to buy one of those products! However, the company is planning to focus on digital content and promises to have most DVD movies available at the Kaleidescape Store by that November 30 target date.
As part of the settlement, Kaleidescape has also agreed to drop its appeal.
"This agreement is a watershed moment for Kaleidescape. Electronically delivered movies are the future of home video. This agreement allows us to focus on creating the future of digital content ownership," said Cheena Srinivasan, founder and CEO of Kaleidescape. "As the most trusted brand among home theater enthusiasts, who purchase far more movies than the average consumer, we are committed to delivering the best products and services for the most entertaining and immersive movie-watching experience at home."
The DVD CCA first filed its suit back in 2004, claiming breach of contract. Since then, Kaleidescape has gone on to launch additional servers, downloads through the Kaleidescape Store, and recently announced plans to add UltraViolet into the company's growing list of features.
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