Federal judge weighs DVD copying case

US District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel weighed arguments in a contentious DVD copyright case between Hollywood movie companies and RealNetworks Inc on Thursday, but did not indicate when she might rule. She is expected to issue a written decision on whether sales of RealNetworks' software that allows people to make backups of their DVDs on a home computer -- which she temporarily halted in October -- can resume. Her decision will come after hearing more evidence on whether the company violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 and the license it had with the DVD Copy Control Association and will indicate what she expects will happen if the issue goes to trial.