Today, Realnetwork, the digital media company in Seattle, will introduce RealDVD, a $30 software program for Windows computers that allows users to easily make a digital copy of an entire DVD. RealNetworks Inc. is a creator of digital media services and software such as Rhapsody, RealArcade and RealPlayer.

Robert Glaser, chief executive of RealNetworks said

Its a compelling and very responsible product that gives consumers a way to do something they have always wanted to do, like make backup copies of favorite discs and take movies with them on their laptops when they travel. RealDVD will have widespread appeal, and he is already pondering its future. He says the software could eventually work across home networks and play movies on televisions, instead of just computer screens.

The software will be available for sale on Real.com and Amazon.com this month, will allow buyers to make one copy of a DVD, playable only on the computer where it was made. The user can transfer that copy to up to five other Windows computers, but only by buying additional copies of the software for $20 each. The software does not work on high-definition Blu-ray discs, which the movie industry has even more aggressively sought to protect from illicit copying.

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