As long as you own the film you are copying, you are not breaking any laws. The second you give that copy to someone is when you are going against the system.
With that being said,
DVD Copy Software - DVD movie Copying & Burning: DVD X Copy is a great place to start. The software is extremely powerful. Now the only way you will be able to burn a DVD onto a CD-R is through two ways.
1) To create a VCD file, and those play in most systems.
2) To create a Divx file, and those play in SOME DVD players. The player has to be Divx certified.
Now copying onto a computer is even easier! Just make a Divx file from the DVD.
DVD to DivX (Xvid) Conversion Guide | Articles - Digital Digest
Digital Digest in general will have articles to help you out every step of the way.
Enjoy!