France's Supreme Court has ruled that it is illegal to make a copy of a shop-bought DVD even for personal use.

The so-called Mulholland Drivecase, was brought by a consumer who argued that he should not be prevented from copying a DVD he bought as long as he did not distribute it to anyone else. He also said that the copy protection warnings were not clear.

The claim, backed by French consumer associationUFC Que Choisir, against the producer, StudioCanal and the DVDpublisher Universal Pictures Video, was initially upheld

But that ruling has now been overturned after appeal to the Supreme Court, to the delight of the industry.

International Federation Of Film Producers Association (FIAPF)general manager Valerie Lepine-Karnik said: "On behalf of filmproducers around the world, we welcome the French Supreme Court's recognitionof the special nature of the film sector and the upholding of the use of copy protection not only on DVDs but also in respect of films onother formats and modes of distribution.