May the best plan win

DivX has filed a preemptive federal lawsuit asking that a judge "exorcise" the "specter of litigation" surrounding its services.

Universal has told DivX that its site, which utilizes Stage6 video hosting, is "knowingly involved in the infringement of UMG's copyrighted materials, and exploits that widespread infringement for its own commercial gain."

DivX has noted it complies with the DMCA and that Universal can request the removal of any copyright-protected video that appears on the site.

YouTube, Google and BitTorrent have suffered similar grievances from major entertainment content dealers.

Vice President Peter LoFrumento of Universal contacted Ars Technica to express his "bafflement" at DivX's lawsuit, as the two companies are currently negotiating terms.