Hollywood, RealNetworks square off on DVD copying

Hollywood calls it "rent, rip and return" and contends it's one of the biggest technological threats to the movie industry's annual $20 billion DVD market — software that allows you to copy a film without paying for it.

On Friday, the showdown over the issue will take place in federal court in San Francisco, where an army of lawyers representing Hollywood will argue that RealNetworks Inc.'s DVD "ripper" is an illegal digital piracy tool.

The company, in turn, will say the $29.99 software that allows DVDs to be easily copied to computer hard drives is legitimate.

The same federal judge who shut down music-swapping site Napster in 2000 because of copyright violations will preside over the three-day trial, which is expected to cut to the heart of the same technological upheaval roiling Hollywood that forever changed the face of the music business.

The movie studios fear that if RealNetworks is allowed to sell its RealDVD software, consumers will quickly lose interest in paying retail for DVDs that can be rented cheaply, copied and returned.

Their lawyers argue the software violates a federal law known as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that makes software and other tools that enable digital piracy illegal. They also contend shoppers will widely condone such illegal behavior if RealNetworks' product is allowed on the market.

For its part, the Seattle-based company says its RealDVD product is designed to simply let customers back up a purchased DVD and that the software allows for only one copy to be made.

The company argues that the contract it signed with the DVD Copy Control Association, which equips DVD player manufacturers with the keys to unscrambling DVDs, allows RealDVD because the software doesn't alter or remove anti-piracy encryption on DVDs like illicit software that is easily obtained for free online.

RealNetworks says its product legally fills growing consumer demand to convert their DVDs to digital form for convenient storage and viewing.

In October, U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel temporarily barred sales of RealDVD after the product was on the market for a few days. At the time, the judge said it appeared the software did violate federal law against digital piracy, but ordered detailed court filings and the trial to better understand how RealDVD works.

The industry's lawsuit has incurred widespread wrath from bloggers, digital rights advocates and groups on both sides of the political spectrum, including former Republican congressman and Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr and the left-leaning Electronic Frontier Foundation.

The industry's critics accuse the studios of stifling innovation as they attempt to develop their own copying software.

"It's all about control," said Cato Institute scholar Timothy Lee. "No one is allowed to innovate in the DVD space without industry permission."

The industry, through the Motion Picture Association of America, counters that its goal is to stamp out piracy. It says it welcomes legitimate attempts at innovation.

"RealNetworks acted in bad faith by taking a license to build a DVD player and instead built a copier that violates the circumvention rules of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act by enabling consumers to copy DVDs illegally," said Greg Goeckner, the MPAA's top lawyer. "Our objective is to get the illegal choices out of the marketplace and instead focus constructively with the technology community on bringing in more innovative and flexible legal options for consumers to enjoy movies."

Regardless of the trial's outcome — and the judge isn't expected to rule immediately — some predict that Hollywood control over digital copies will continue to wane because of the proliferation of illegal software online.

"If Hollywood wins, I don't think much changes in the real world," said Fred von Lohmann, an attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "Anybody who wants DVDs copied can download software for free in 10 minutes."

Jennifer Love Hewitt new love can't stop gushing

Jennifer Love Hewitt has her latest love, Jamie Kennedy, talking continually about how much in love with her he has fallen.

Kennedy’s career is rock solid and scorching hot yet he manages to fly under the press radar screen. Savvy? Yes. Talented? You bet.

In love with Jennifer Love Hewitt?? Oh, you bet!

Most known for his comedy, Jamie Kennedy is currently starring in a new film, Finding Bliss, being featured in Manhattan this week at the Gen Art Film Festival presented by Acura.

In the flick, Leelee Sobieski wins the top filmmaker award at her NYU graduation and goes where else...to Hollywood!

She wants to pursue her dream of becoming a director and takes an offer in editing adult entertainment.

Back to Jamie Kennedy: the 38 year-old revealed he’s in love with Ghost Whisperer co-star, Jennifer Love Hewitt, as they recently vacationed in Mexico and he discovered kidney stones.

Ouch! We hear that he’s recovering and Love Hewitt is at his side. Apparently he’s home now and resting.

But here’s our question: the lovely Jennifer Love Hewitt always seems to have a leading man and several broken engagements.

Remember her relationship with Carson Daly? Then there was another one in between we believe and the most recent break up to fiance Ross McCall.

Rihanna and Chris Brown back together

Rihanna and Chris Brown are back together! Paparazzi are swarming the Los Angeles area for that million-dollar picture of the couple together.

Fuzzy images of the two boarding and leaving a plane in Florida are claimed to be Rihanna and Chris Brown. It certainly looks like the pair who appear to be trying to reconcile after Brown allegedly beat Rihanna so badly she thought she was going to die.

Early this morning Rihanna and Brown arrived at LAX together and thus begin the long process that is navigating a relationship reunion with the domestic abuse charges hanging over Brown's head. Brown is set to be arraigned in a Los Angeles court on March 5.

After Rihanna and Chris Brown reunited in Miami for a few days, the couple have made their way back to LA to recuperate their relationship and his career.

Sources close to the pair have Rihanna and Brown hiding out in Beverly Hills. With the throngs of paparazzi outside both their LA homes, the couple settled into the Beverly Hills Wilshire.

Although charges are filed and Brown could face almost a certain very-public trial, if the main accuser, Rihanna, refuses to testify, there is no case. It makes one wonder if Brown is reconciling to save his legal hide or if he truly is remorseful and plans to treat Rihanna right.

Either way, this story is far from over.

4 Better boyfriends for Rihanna

Depending on who you believe, there have been mixed reports that Rihanna is dating either actor Wilmer Valderama, best known for That '70s Show and famously bragging about bedding starlets like Mandy Moore and Lindsay Lohan to Howard Stern, or Bromance "star" Frankie Delgado.

And while we're happy that Rihanna has moved on from her turbulent relationship with ex Chris Brown, a part of us can't help but wonder: "Really, Rihanna? The guy that played Fez or, even worse, a guy who claims friendship with Brody Jenner?"

We think our RiRi deserves better, so here are a few guys who'd we prefer to see the beautiful "Umbrella" songstress with instead:

1. Josh Hartnett

If Rihanna wants to revisit a past relationship, she could do a lot worse than getting back in touch with Josh Harnett, the hunky star of Lucky Number Slevin and Wicker Park whom she was previously linked to in 2007. A Midwestern boy at heart with old-fashioned values, he decided to move back to his home state of Minnesota in 2002 and leave LA because "flitting around from club to club and girl to girl is no way to live," he was quoted as saying.

2. Damon Dash

An older man who could mentor and protect her may just be what Rihanna needs after having her fairy tale romance with Chris Brown go so badly awry. The thirty-seven year old Dash, a successful hip-hop music and fashion mogul, could fit that bill nicely and is known for appreciating the charms of beautiful young singers, having once famously dated Aaliyah. Although he is currently in the process of divorcing wife Rachel Roy, he could certainly commiserate with Rihanna's past relationship troubles and offer her a strong shoulder to lean on.

3. Laz Alonzo

While the least famous of the group, there's no question that this former model turned actor and musician is Rihanna's counterpart in both looks and talent and would make the perfect rebound guy. Resembling a young Denzel Washington, Alonzo studied business at Howard University and even worked on Wall Street before gaining recognition in films like Stomp the Yard and the latest Fast & Furious flick. He is also said to be an accomplished musician and singer, having played the piano since he was a kid.

4. Justin Timberlake

With his relationship with Jessica Biel reportedly on the rocks, we'd love to see a romance develop between Rihanna and the "SexyBack" singer. The pair are reportedly good friends and displayed sizzling chemistry in her sexy 2008 "Rehab" video (so much that Jessica Biel was supposedly 'sick to her stomach' after seeing pictures of them from the set.) They were also slated to sing together at the Grammys before Rihanna had to drop out, but perhaps a romantic duet later on this year is what is really in the cards for them.

Jessica Simpson's country career hits sour note

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Jessica Simpson's courtship with country music seems to have had a shorter shelf life than her marriage.

After lackluster sales for her country debut, "Do You Know," Simpson and her Nashville record label have parted ways, leaving many wondering what's next for the 28-year-old entertainer.

"Right now it seems like she's taken a break from recording. There is nothing else on the books," said Ian Drew, senior music editor at Us Weekly magazine.

A spokeswoman for the one-time pop princess says Simpson remains part of the Sony Music Group on the Epic label, but is no longer working with the company's country division, Sony Music Nashville.

"She was on loan to Sony Nashville for her country album," said Lauren Auslander.

As for her future in country music? "We don't know yet," she said.

"Do You Know" started strong but faded fast. The lead single, "Come on Over," a flirtatious, steel guitar-laced slice of country pop, peaked at No. 18 last summer and the album debuted at No. 1. But the second single, "Remember That," stalled at No. 42, and the third, "Pray Out Loud," failed to chart.

To date, the disc, Simpson's fifth studio release, has sold around 178,000 copies — a long way from her 3 million-selling 2003 disc, "In This Skin."

"Everywhere I saw her around the U.S. at different radio station events she was always well-received," said Lon Helton, editor and publisher of the industry trade publication "Country Aircheck." "For whatever reason, the music did not resonate."

Simpson came to country after her 2006 pop outing, "A Public Affair," fell flat. The Texas-born blonde touted the move as a return to her roots. She performed on the Grand Ole Opry, signed autographs at the Country Music Association's annual festival, and toured with country's multiplatinum trio Rascal Flatts.

But she got more publicity for her life outside of music, most of it far from positive. She was ridiculed when it seemed as if she had gained a few pounds, and the status of her romance with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was constantly scrutinized.

She was also criticized for a few erratic concert performances. At a February show in Michigan, Simpson apologized to fans after she forgot the lyrics to a song and asked her band to start over on another.

Some detractors viewed her country career as a calculated attempt to follow other pop stars who have found success on country radio.

"Working the country market is very different. You really have to work it at country. You have to spend your life on the road building an audience and she didn't really put the work in," Drew observed. "She walked the walk and talked the talk, but she didn't have the street cred that she needed to make it work."

But others say Simpson shouldn't bail too soon. She may just need more time to find an audience.

"It doesn't seem like she was even on the country music scene long enough to prove what she is capable of doing for this industry. She never got the chance," said Neely Yates, music director for country station 96.3 in Lubbock, Texas.

Helton wondered whether the singer was a victim of bad timing. Pop rockers Darius Rucker and Jewel were crossing over to country about the same time, which he called unusual in country music.

"What was the ability of the market to absorb and focus on more than one pop singer at a time coming over?" he asked.

The question now is whether Simpson will keep her record deal. After two disappointments, Epic may be ready to move on without her.

"She's never really sold a lot of records except for the album out at the height of 'Newlyweds,'" said Drew, referring to her popular reality TV show, "Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica," which chronicled her ill-fated marriage to Nick Lachey. "Other than that, she's never been able to sell much of anything."

But in a recent interview, Rascal Flatts' Gary Levox said Simpson is in a no-win situation with her critics: "She's in a spot where whatever she does, they pick her apart. They need to just leave her alone and just let her sing."

"She's a wonderfully gifted singer," added bandmate Jay DeMarcus. "All the other stuff overshadows what she's really about and it's unfortunate, because there's more to her there than just tabloid fodder."

Circus Coming to Court? Lawyer Wants Britney to Testify

Britney Spears could be forced back into the legal zone.

Jon Eardley, who once tried to break Spears out of her father-controlled conservatorship supposedly at her behest, has asked a judge to require the songbird to take a time-out from her Circus tour and testify in court. Eardley is currently the target of a restraining order filed by the conservatorship.

Per court documents obtained by E! News, Eardley says that with the "Blackout" singer performing at L.A.'s Staples Center this Thursday and Friday, she should be required to show up and testify on the validity of her allegations against him.

"If Britney Spears is well enough to put on two concerts in Los Angeles she is certainly well enough to attend a trial where attorneys on her behalf have falsely accused Jon Eardley of harassment," the petition states.

Specifically, the attorney is demanding Spears address two issues: whether or not she authorized him to take legal action to block the conservatorship, and whether he caused her "substantial emotional distress."

Should the Britster not be able to show up for any reason, Eardley is seeking an order forcing her to submit to an oral deposition "at a location of her choosing" to answer questions pertaining to those two points.

If the Oops! girl's unable to make herself available in any way but is willing to stipulate that she did not suffer substantial emotional distress due to Eardley's conduct, court papers said he'd withdraw his subpoena.

Team Spears has previously claimed that after her onetime manager Sam Lutfi brought Eardley in to act as her counsel, she never knew the legal eagle nor acknowledged him working for her.

Chris Brown: Game for New Gal-Pal?

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Chris Brown isn't going to let something like his arraignment get in the way of having a good time.

The alleged girlfriend beater was not only seen hanging with a new gal-pal on Saturday afternoon, but later that same night, he and a group of celeb friends partied at L.A. Live's Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge in downtown Los Angeles.

Brown was photographed at a Sunset Boulevard tattoo parlor with Girlicious singer Natalie Mejia.

Mejia confirmed to E! News that she's the woman in the pics but declined to comment on the nature of her and Brown's relationship. (Brown is also said to be seeing an ex, college student Erica Jackson, according to the Gatecrasher column in the New York Daily News.)

Mejia was not seen, however, when Brown was spotted later on at about midnight entering Lucky Strike through a back entrance. He made a beeline for the private Luxe Lounge, where he was joined by Transformers star Tyrese Gibson, Omarion and Dreamgirls actor Keith Robinson.

The posse munched on chicken bites and fries, and Brown "appeared happy and was dancing around," the source reports. The group took off at about 2:30 am, but not before Brown apparently noticed one of the female bartenders. "It seemed as if he was definitely into her," another source says.

Brown pleaded not guilty last Monday to felony charges of assaulting and threatening to kill Rihanna the night before the Grammys. The next hearing in the case is April 29. If convicted, Brown faces a maximum sentence of four years and eight months in prison.