RealNetworks announced RealDVD earlier this month as the first commercially available and legitimate method for ripping DVDs to computers and laptops. The software officially launched today, and while it has only been available for a few hours, already Hollywood studios have asked a federal court for damages and an injunction against sales of RealDVD.
According to the MPAA, which represents the largest film studios, the software's ability to copy DVDs to a hard disk violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. RealNetworks, on the other hand, believes it has a strong case because its software does not break the DVD's CSS encryption when copying it to the hard drive (and even adds a second layer of DRM) - of course, that won't stop people from renting a movie, copying it and then returning the movie without ever paying for the unauthorized copy.
The software is now available for download from realdvd.com at an introductory price of only $30, or you could just search for one of many readily available free and paid tools that offer similar functionality.