p2pnet - rss feed: EMI takes the BMG DRM road
p2pnet.net News:- “Music fans who copy CDs for all their pals, take note: It may be time to shed some friends.”
That’s the header in an LA Times story on EMI’s decision to join Sony BMG in using technology that’ll supposedly stop counterfeiters from counterfeiting.
It’s called DRM and it’s a lot like the Snake Oil cures of yesteryear. Looks good and sounds good. But there’s no chance of it working.
“Executives at EMI Group on Monday said they planned to begin rolling out CDs with technology designed to limit copying,” says the LA Times. “The technology allows buyers to burn onto CDs only three full copies of a disc’s songs, and the burned discs cannot be copied.”
But the “new” DRM gear, “still has some compatibility issues - most notably, the songs on the discs cannot be transferred directly to Apple Computer Inc.’s popular iPods,” says the story. “Such limitations are one reason that the two other major record companies, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group Corp., have yet to make the switch to ‘secure’ CDs.
However, “Both EMI and Sony BMG plan to let buyers get around the CDs’ restrictions so they can get tracks onto iPods. Executives said they were willing to sacrifice security in the name of playability.”
But DRM has more than simple compatibility problems.
It can’t possibly work.
People who want to back up CDs and/or DVDs they’ve bought and paid for can do it easily using one of the many and various analog and/or digital techniques - without needing a PhD in electronics.
It’s really simple: IYCSIOHITYCCI: If you can see it or hear it, you can copy it.
And anyone who believes the counterfeit crooks, who are the real villains in the piece, will be daunted by supposed ‘technology protection’ of any kind needs to think again.
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Also see:-
LA Times - CDs to Restrict Copying of Songs, June 14, 2005
June 15th, 2005 at 2:47 am
…and existing audio DRM schemes are easy to circumvent. In most cases, disabling AutoRun (so the viral programs don’t install themselves) and not using M$ WMP to rip is enough to get around the copy protection. Morons.
June 15th, 2005 at 7:59 am
That won’t work with the new EMI protection. They are going to use Macrovision CDS-300, not SunnComm’s MediaMax. We found a 2nd layer of protection on CDS-300 that seems to hide the audio if the AutoRun file is not loaded. You will need to crack that to get at the audio. Not too difficult with the right tools, but certainly not as simple as holding down the shift key or disabling AutoRun.
June 15th, 2005 at 11:25 am
“unlimited supply… EMI… you know the reason why… EMI…”
Sex Pistols
People have been copying friends cds even before there was cd-burners/mp3/etc, you know : tapes !