New encrypted CD hits the market

Chris Lockwood · 09-24-2003, 10:26 AM

Hopefully this will flop. I don't think it meets the audio CD spec.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...today/11865096

I don't like music CDs that try to install software on my PC. Lots of us use our CD-ROM drives to listen to music, & anything that interferes with that gets my

John_Berger · 09-24-2003, 10:33 AM

Yessir, this will surely work

-- in pissing off the customers, maybe.

Hasn't anyone heard of the LINE IN function of their PC from whiuch you can record audio from something like, I don't know, maybe, a portable CD player? Apparently, the music studios don't know that this LINE IN capability has existed for over 10 years.

I'm wondering if the permanent marker routine will work with this. I'll bet it would.

MarkHastings · 09-24-2003, 10:39 AM

Quote:

The disc has two sets of music tracks: one set of "encrypted" songs that can be handled by CD players but cannot be ripped on computers, and a duplicate set of tracks in the Windows Media format. These can be downloaded from the CD to a computer and then transferred to portable devices or recorded to home CDs.

This poses a LOT of questions.

1.) The fact that the tracks are in Windows Media is their first mistake for us Mac users (even though I have Media Player, I will not allow myself to use it)

2.) Can't you then burn those media player files to a CD and then rip the CD back into MP3's?

3.) The fact that both formats are on the same CD, won't this limit space?

4.) The fact that space is limited will mean the files you can download to your computer are obviously compressed. The ability to not get uncompressed media from a CD to your computer is also a big no no.

-If this trend catches on, I will not be buying CD's anymore.

Quote:

in pissing off the customers

Exactly. They may be trying to thrawt swapping, but it also pisses off those who legally like to transfer the CD quality audio to their computers.

So not only are they pissing off the people who steal (which is ok), but they are pissing off the people who don't do anything illegal as well.

Good move

Christ Reynolds · 09-24-2003, 03:21 PM

Quote:

The fact that the tracks are in Windows Media is their first mistake for us Mac users (even though I have Media Player, I will not allow myself to use it)

then the problem lies not in the fact that the songs are in wmp format, but that you dont want to use wmp...oh, and i cant wait to never buy one of these cds.

CJ

Christian Behrens · 09-24-2003, 04:29 PM

The US is the ONLY market so far where copy-protected CDs are not the norm yet, but the industry will try, and soon. And of course, these discs do NOT meet the CD audio specs, but the industry really doesn't care. Check out this site for the extent of the issue already: http://www.fatchucks.com/z3.cd.html

In an interview with a respected German computer magazine (c't), the recording association of Germany basically said that they don't care about the specs, they want to drive down copying and increase sales. (I know, I know what you all are going to say, but again, look at the link above, the problem is very real everywhere but here - yet.)

Needless to say I don't want copy-protected discs myself, especially now that I have an iPod.

-Christian

**HTF Ads**

Benson R · 09-24-2003, 04:37 PM

The record companies are full of shit. I can believe that file sharing impacts their business but they have to know that this will not make any dent in file sharing. It only takes one person to make the song available online and this is not a difficult protection to break. I really am starting to believe that cd copy protection is not about stopping file sharing but protecting future revenue by being able to sell the customer both the physical copy, cd, and the software file for their mp3 player.

MarkHastings · 09-24-2003, 04:43 PM

The best part of the article is that the artist who is using this encryption is such a nobody that you know he wanted in on this just to get popularity from the contorversy

or just to get a high CD sales number from all the people who buy these CD's to 'test' the encryption.

Quote:

then the problem lies not in the fact that the songs are in wmp format, but that you dont want to use wmp

I try to keep Microsoft products off my Mac because of the viruses. I use my PC for Word and such. I try too hard to be Microsoft free when I'm on my Mac. And yes, I'd rather use iTunes than WMP.

Steve Crowley · 09-24-2003, 10:13 PM

I am all for copy protecting CD's so the punks that distributes their copies across the Internet are finally defeated. I am sure that someone will decrypt the encoding as this is standard fare. There will always be someone who hacks his way just to get a freebie. Bring back LP's then it will take 28 minutes to copy than 30 seconds of MP3 crap. Has anyone ever listen to MP3 over a really good sound system? Sure it sounds OK over headphones and alright in a car. But seriously folks, there is nothing like an 1000sq ft. room with vinyl,SACD,DVD-A rather than inferior sounding material. I guess that some people want their cake and eat it too. That's why the music today is full of Brittany wannabes and artists that can't think of a new beat so they buy rights to use OTHER artist's lyrics and music to compile their version of a song. I see P Diddy(Is that his name now,what next week, Diddy P) going into the Zep vault, sorry Cadillac already did that, and making some whore of a song out of a masterpiece. Just ranting cause I write software and am mad as hell if someone ripped me off. I am sure that there are folks on this forum that disagree with my disclosure but how would you feel if someone stole your equipment and said you had no intellectual property to the items you own. My ass, I paid for it, you bugger. Oh well, glad I have a copyright. Doh!

John_Berger · 09-24-2003, 10:27 PM

Quote:

I am all for copy protecting CD's so the punks that distributes their copies across the Internet are finally defeated.

Then you'll have to also banish the Line In function on all sound cards and make it illegal to own any system with a Line In audio function in conjunction with table-top or portable CD players.

News flash! It's not going to happen.

So, if you think that copy-protecting CDs will prevent people from making ANALOG-to-digital copies, you are so-o-o-o-o-orely mistaken.

Quote:

Bring back LP's then it will take 28 minutes to copy than 30 seconds of MP3 crap.

If that's what you think, then you clearly have not been keeping up on various LP-to-CD or LP-to-MP3 software that has been available for years. Copying a record, depending onthe speed of the system, can easily be a "just press Start" deal. Yes, it will take more time, but it's not necessarily any more difficult.

Quote:

I am sure that there are folks on this forum that disagree with my disclosure but how would you feel if someone stole your equipment and said you had no intellectual property to the items you own.

Not necessarily at the disclosure itself, but I have a thing or two to say to you about the froth that you just spewed on my monitor. I'll need a degreaser to get this crap off my screen now.

Oh, yuck.

That is so gross. Does it HAVE to be green??? Can't you spew in fuchsia or peuce instead?

:p)

I know that there will be people who want to slam me for this, but the truth is that if you don't accept the reality that there will always be piracy (regardless of the ethics involved) and that most anti-piracy methods are useless and often more of a hinderance to the consumer, you're just setting yourself up for high blood pressure.

Marc Colella · 09-25-2003, 04:45 AM

Quote:

I am all for copy protecting CD's so the punks that distributes their copies across the Internet are finally defeated.

That's fine, but expect a backlash from people who want to rip their CDs to MP3s for their portable players, etc.

I've only relegated myself to purchasing used CDs now (no more retail purchases), but I wouldn't even purchase used CDs if I'm unable to rip them to my iPod.