RipGuard ‘copy blocker’ reloaded
p2pnet.net News:- The manner in which the mainstream media treat clearly self-serving corporate puff releases as genuine information sources is again highlighted in the coverage of Macrovision’s supposedly ‘copy-proof’ DRM application.
It’s simple. If you can see it or hear it, you can copy it.
But Macrovision says its RipGuard DVD “digital rip-control solution” for DVD video is just the thing to plug the “digital hole” created by PC-based DeCSS ripper software, “which allows millions of average consumers to make unauthorized perfect digital copies of copyrighted DVDs in mere minutes”.
Aren’t people who bought and paid for software, or music or movies, allowed to make back-ups?
Not according to the software companies or the movie and music cartels.
Your days of ripping are numbered – RipGuard is here, promises Ployer: “Macrovision Corp, yesterday unveiled a new technology touted to block 97 percent of the DVD-copying software used by Internet pirates, without interfering with a DVD’s play ability or picture quality.”
DVD copy blocker invented, states Britain’s the Inquirer, firmly: “A SILICON VALLEY software outfit has invented a new technology that it claims blocks 97 per cent of DVD copying software. Macrovision …
New technology to be introduced to curb online DVD piracy, says China’s state new agency Xinhua: “A Silicon Valley company unveiled Tuesday a new technology that it claims to be able to block …
Macrovision lance le DVD RipGuard destiné à réduire, France’s Le Revenu writes: “Macrovision Corporation, premier fournisseur international de solutions de gestion de contenus et de valeur logicielle, annonce le lancement …”
New Tech Prevents DVD Copying, Kills ‘Rippers’, declares eWeek: “Content protection company Macrovision Corp. plans to announce on Tuesday that it has developed a way to eliminate the vast majority of DVD copying …”
DVD copy protection strengthened, says Britain’s BBC: “DVDs will be harder to copy thanks to new anti-piracy measures devised by copy protection firm Macrovision. The pirated DVD market …”
But the headline that really tells the tale is this, from CNET News – “New copy-proof DVDs on the way? Content-protection company Macrovision is expected to release a new DVD copy-protection technology Tuesday in hopes of substantially broadening its role in …”
In the meanwhile, as a p2pnet reader says here, "As a programmer, I applaud the efforts of companies to employ a ton of programmers and pay them truck loads of money to produce something that will be obsolete ten minutes after it’s released. Talk about job security! Work two years on a copy protection, have it bypassed by a 10 year old with too much free time and a magic marker, rinse and repeat. Where do I sign up for that job?"
Something you think we should know? tips[at]p2pnet.net
===================
See:-
you can copy it – New MacroVision ‘copy-proof’, p2pnet, February 15, 2005
February 16th, 2005 at 3:12 pm
“new technology touted to block 97 percent of the DVD-copying software used by Internet pirates”
- So release groups will have to use the remaining 3% and everything remains the same… congratulations!
February 16th, 2005 at 3:18 pm
Finally someone who tells the truth!!! The Media sucks!
February 16th, 2005 at 3:27 pm
I expect this form of DRM to be easily circumventable.
February 16th, 2005 at 4:12 pm
So what’s to stop someone from first copying the
film to high-end video tape and then copying the film
to computer from the tape? Or how about the old
school bootleg: simply tape the film direct from
a plasma screen with a high-end camera, and then
copy to the computer from the camera?
Maybe the Internet bootleggers use ripping software,
but most of the street bootleggers never did.
Obviously Macrovision is trying to sell the Brooklyn
Bridge.
February 16th, 2005 at 4:29 pm
here’s something i’ve thought about every once and awhile. whats so special about the encryption? you write a program to copy a dvd byte for byte, bit for bit and then just burn the exact copy to a blank dvd and then you have a copy of the encrypted dvd that will play in a standard dvd player…am i missing something?
February 16th, 2005 at 5:23 pm
>> … am i missing something?
Why, yes. Yes you are.
February 16th, 2005 at 7:24 pm
>>here’s something i’ve thought about every once and awhile. whats so special about the encryption? you write a program to copy a dvd byte for byte, bit for bit and then just burn the exact copy to a blank dvd and then you have a copy of the encrypted dvd that will play in a standard dvd player…am i missing something? <<
yes you are…you are missing quite a bit..
simple statement by someone who doesn’t know much ado about this subject.
No offense but I am surprised you aren’t on their side with that logic.
Just curious, do you know the difference between a bit and a byte?
February 16th, 2005 at 9:10 pm
Many tricks have been tried in the past to protect “original” copies of software and media; many involve manipulating oddities in the firmware of the players on the market. Nevertheless, as far as I know, nobody has ever developed a technique that was useful (i.e. resistant to reverse-engineering) for broad distribution models. If nothing else, the rule of thumb states that if a playback device is available for the media, the media’s functionality can be duplicated (a computer complete with disc drive and operating system being the “playback device” in the case of software). The most successful means of copy control for a broad audience developed so far is the high-overhead one employed by MMOG’s (i.e. Everquest). In Everquest, the value of the product is not embodied in the software itself but in the centrally-hosted multiplayer service operated by Sony/Verant. However, this model is useless for pre-recorded media (music, single-player games, and movies), as the host company has little beyond the recorded material itself to offer. If all that is desired is playback, the raw video, data, and audio feeds from the player can be hijacked in various ways and directed to an alternative format (i.e. mp3/divx/iso).
I firmly believe that this anti-ripping tech will be good for little in a purely technological sense; however, it MAY give anti-piracy lawsuits a bit of fresh ammunition (i.e. adding legitimacy to content distributors’ claim of incorporating sufficient “preventative measures” to make infringement non-trivial). I’d bet my white hat that this technology’s ramifications will be negligible beyond 2006. Yaaaawn…
February 16th, 2005 at 10:11 pm
It’s always amusing to watch these companies spend huge sums of money to come up with an ‘unbreakable’ copy protection – only to have it immediately defeated with the crudest of devices.
February 16th, 2005 at 10:31 pm
Not sure if “hackers” is the best choice of words. When a T-rex company like Macrovision makes these kinds of claims they are just BEGGING to have their beloved new DRM baby cracked. There’s a big bunch of bragging rights up for grabs to the first Davey who hits the Goliath square in the head. This too will pass…
February 17th, 2005 at 1:06 am
I have the ultimate copy protection solution.
Apply a flame directly to the media in question. Works for all known media types.
I know the MPAA and RIAA don’t care if the comsumers can play it or not. Perhaps I should sell them my idea?
February 17th, 2005 at 3:56 am
If you have a time base corrector to strip the macrovision analog copy protection out of the sync signal, nothing. It actually removed the entire original sync signal and inserts it’s own sync. What is funny is that is another piece of equipment that was threatened(though it was never mentioned) by the DMCA. Imagine a vital piece of equipment to every video prfessional everywhere, whether SECAM, PAL, or NTSC, not being legal. Tv stations can’t run without them, but in a consumer’s hands (they make little chap ones for personal use) they can be used to circumvent the ONLY copy protection ever devised to prevent unauthorised recording to an analog source, i.e a VHS. So no more time base corrector, no more TV staions. Thats a real h00t!