MUMBAI: In its bid to settle lawsuits with the Hollywood studios and the DVD Copy Control Association, RealNetworks will stop supporting its RealDVD software.

It will also pay the studios $4.5 million for their costs and fees in connection with the litigation.

As part of the settlement, RealNetworks will withdraw its pending appeal of the District Court's preliminary injunction.

The permanent injunction will prohibit RealNetworks from distributing or supporting RealDVD "or any other technology that enables the duplication of copyrighted content protected by the Content Scramble System, ARccOS, or RipGuard."

In October 2008, the MPAA, on behalf of the studios, filed a suit against RealNetworks, alleging that RealDVD allows for the illegal duplication of movies.

In 2009 August last year, the studios succeeded in getting an injunction against the software.

There are approximately 2,700 existing RealDVD customers who will be refunded the purchase price of the product.