Well strictly speaking it's illegal to rip any DVD regardless of the content. The reason is that it ripping requires removing the DVD encryption. Breaking the encryption is illegal due to the DMCA(Digital Millennium Copyright Act).

So it's not the copyright of the actual movie your breaking it's the breaking of the encryption that is illegal.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Millennium_Copyright_Act

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Just a side note, I've heard a lot of people describe something as being in the "public domain" just because it's been published on the internet, or passed around a few times. While "ripping" a movie probably won't get you in much, or any trouble, if you do plan on distributing that copy, make sure it really is public domain.
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While there is a law against breaking the encryption, for multiple reasons some lawyers believe that this law is unconstitutional:

a) puts too much burden on free speech

i) code is speech
ii) 1201 is unsupported by the necessary legislative findings for intermediate scrutiny (Turner I)
iii) takes away fair use (fair use is constitutionally mandated to meet the copyright "delicate balance")

b) outside congressional power (Copyright or Commerce)

i) potentially unlimited times
ii) patent-like monopoly without the patent-requisite disclosure
iii) engenders antitrust problems / copyright misuse

c) procedurally unsound

i) void for vagueness
ii) ex post facto effects
iii) impermissible delegation to private entities

If the law is unconstitutional, then odviously it is not illegal to rip your DVDs.
Source(s):
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/openlaw/DVD/dvd-discuss-faq.html#ss2.4.1

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