] The RipGuard technology would defeat the most popular of
] the ripping programs, Macrovision's Gervin said, by
] tinkering with the format of DVDs to make it impossible
] to extract data quickly from the discs. The technique
] confounds ripping programs without damaging computers,
] preventing the discs from playing or reducing picture
] quality, he said.

I have just read about 10 articles on the technology, and this is the only clue that seems to point to what it does.

What's funny is their claim about 97% of software that pirates presently use. And about increasing the complexity of ripping a disc beyond the casual user. It is a funny thing about software. If 97% of the ripping software becomes unusable, I expect nearly 97% of the software will be updated shortly to use the techniques of the 3%. And all those hoops? Automated and abstracted away. Because people want to copy DVDs at the push of a button. Already the process of copying a DVD is way too complex for the average user.