JUDGE NIXES 'SANITIZED' FILMS

U.S. District Judge Richard P. Matsch made the call in a case wafting out of Utah. At least three businesses were editing DVDs and VHS tapes to remove what they didn't like -- specifically, bad language, violence and sex. They rented or sold those scrubbed flicks to people who don't want to be offended.

The businesses didn't seek permission from producers, directors or studios. The Associated Press reports:

Editing movies to delete objectionable language, sex and violence is an "illegitimate business" that hurts Hollywood studios and directors who own the movie rights, said Matsch in a decision released Thursday in Denver.

"Their (studios and directors) objective ... is to stop the infringement because of its irreparable injury to the creative artistic expression in the copyrighted movies," the judge wrote. "There is a public interest in providing such protection."

Matsch ordered the companies named in the suit, including CleanFlicks, Play It Clean Video and CleanFilms, to stop "producing, manufacturing, creating" and renting edited movies. The businesses also must turn over their inventory to the movie studios within five days of the ruling.

"We're disappointed," CleanFlicks chief executive Ray Lines said. "This is a typical case of David vs. Goliath, but in this case, Hollywood rewrote the ending. We're going to continue to fight."

And lose, as it should be. Unless they go to the trouble of getting permission from the copyright holders.