Sony BMG pushing CD sterility

In their neverending quest to find new ways to alienate, annoy, and lose customers, Sony BMG Music Entertainment has settled on a new way to make sure that even if you are able to burn a copy of a CD, that at least you're not able to make additional copies of that copy. There are already ten titles out using First4Internet's XCP technology, which was introduced a couple of months ago and which embeds DRM into any copies that are made (oh, and you're actually limited to three first-gen copies). Probably won't do much to stop piracy (since there're probably already several workarounds), but probably will end up alienating people who do still buy CDs, especially since these copy-protected CDs have a nasty habit of not being compatible with all CD players. 

[Thanks, Mike]

[Thisdude415 @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Sony---> get the picture, no one wants copy protection.
WOO HOO! First Post

[Audra @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Wow, another reason to download music. Why not just figure ways to make cds cheaper. Isn't that what we were promised back in the 90's when the record companies still admitted cds were not as durable as tapes? That would slow piracy!

[d|g|ta| @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

At least it will give coders something to do for a while.

Why alienate loyal customers that acutally by the CDs by introducing more crappy DRM? stupid really

[Topmounter @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

I need a list of these titles so I can go buy one and then return it in protest.

[Chris @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

If sound can be played, it can be recorded. Copied.

Even Sound Recorder that is installed on every Windows PC can be used to copy MP3s without DRM. Im tempted to write a how-to.

[Woolly Mittens @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Do they cut notches in the edge of the disc or something? How do they keep track of how many copies you make? If you can read the data to play it, you can read it for copying.

[geekdreams @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

This is good news for online music stores -- now the people who "don't buy DRM'ed music" don't have a choice!

Next up: a CD format that has lower-quality sound than MP3s, thereby discouraging pirates from copying CDs altogether.

[Laser Vision @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

The entertainment industry is going nuts with all these copy right laws aren't they? I never thought I'd say this, but analog was so much better.

[Kiro @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

As this will be a software protection (DRM added while extracting tunes) it will be avoidable either by not loading the software (hold shift while insering CD) or using another os (Linux, MacOS).

[IE @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

I'll just get the newest version of anydvd or copy the cd in linux. Stuff like this tempts me to put stuff I buy out there on the internet for free.

[Nick @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Sony is like the RIAA's bitch.

[andrew @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

I'm sorry, but this protection is rendered obsolete if using a bit-for-bit software copier. Sony can't just go changing the CD-A ISO standards and expect no one to notice.

I can hear the boardroom pitch now: "Just like a small luggage lock, this is designed to keep honest people honest." Except that it doesn't and will only serve to confuse and cause harm (in the form of lost time) to the consumer who purchases a disc wrapped in this format.

Also, these DRM "systems" are known to physically harm mobile-audio systems whose heads are forced to seek all over the disc to pull readable data, causing the motors that drive them to burn out far earlier than normal.

This kind of system is akin to a magician telling his audience to close their eyes before he makes the rabbit disappear.

[Server @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Workaround #1:

With Nero, GRAB all RAW DATA and Burn a
"Master" (in RAW ONLY) then use this master
to produce a "4 burn only copy" CD

[Viruscool @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

So would it be possible to get past this protection if I use OS X?

[Synbiosis @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

#10: Sony IS a member of the RIAA. It has a gargantuan music wing. They own Columbia Records, for one.

[juliuss @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Nick,

Sony *IS* the RIAA. They are one of the big five labels.

What amazes me is that music label Sony has enough power to change the direction of the entire company (including electronics producer Sony).

[Paul @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Yet another stupid idea! I buy a lot of cd's and copy them to my iPod. Ok for all those illegal copies but what about those people who have a legitimate reason for copies. It's a world gone mad.

[humberto @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

This is why I buy vinyl when I can. CD-DA is dead. DRM will kill the music industry. I use a Hi-MD RH-10 to record off my computer straight to .wav using a Sound Blaster Extigy with optical out.

[john @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

as long as there's a lot of talk and no action, nothing will change.

so, keep talking; Sony edges up while you waste time talking (typing). They've got the money to do as they damn well please, and as long as people keep buying CDs, they will continue to manipulate the market as they see fit.
I'll ignore your comments about how you don't buy CDs anymore; cuz yeah, ya do.

Once again, a few dipshits have ruined it for the rest of us.

[Cuba @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

"I'm sorry, but this protection is rendered obsolete if using a bit-for-bit software copier. Sony can't just go changing the CD-A ISO standards and expect no one to notice."

You will probably notice that most of these copy protected "CDs" do not comply with the Red Book standard and therefore not certified as CDs and do not display the CDDA logo.

[robert @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

I have yet to see a copy protected CD that I have not been able to rip. They're wasting their money. I say bring it on. I have a friend who insists on buying every CD he likes, and whenever he gets one that he can't rip to his iPod (which is starting to happen pretty regularly), he gives it to me to "fix" for him. He gets high quality MP3's of the CD he bought and I keep "backup" copies. Fortunately, I like his taste in music. I too am tempted to post these MP3's to the net to give the proverbial middle finger to the RIAA.

[J1000 @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Already been said here plenty, but isn't it funny how they keep making CDs LESS desirable?

[Server @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

>>You will probably notice that most >>of these copy >>protected "CDs" do >>not comply with the Red Book >>standard >>and >>therefore not >>certified as CDs >>and do not display >>the >>CDDA >>logo.

Raw is Raw, the data on these cd's can not spontaneously morph and therefore the security measure is mute. If you capture the whole sequence bit for byte you effectively *CLONE* the disk. Am I missing something??

[jono @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

23: you are missing the fact that most people use itunes to rip their mp3s before copying them onto cds. or... "cds"? they put them on ipods :P

(replace itunes with wmp or winamp if you wanna have an anti apple hissy fit :P)

[Coen @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

Server wrote:
>> If you capture the whole sequence bit for byte you effectively *CLONE* the disk. Am I missing something?? >>

If you clone the disk, wouldn't that copy the protection as well :) And then try to make a copy of your clone and fail... Isn't that what Sony's after? Ruining as many CD-R's as possible?

Hey, it may be a hippy point of view, but what ever happened to buying a CD to support the band/singer (you know, feed their family?)...

[pat @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

No one is arguing about buying a CD to support a band or whatnot, the real fans are the ones that go to the concerts and buy the merchandise anyway, they are the ones that go out and listen to each track more than a couple of times.

If you want to copy it, then just rip the files into FLAC or something then burn those tracks back to a CD if you want a non-DRM'd copy.

People are right about the shift key thing, it stops it automatically loading. Easy. The CD won't just install something on your computer without asking you in some way shape or form, otherwise people will be up in arms (current form is tiny not waiving all legal rights when you place CD in computer :P)

[Chris @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

The band makes maybe 75 cents each for every $15 CD sold.

They feed their families by touring, not selling CDs. Don't buy that classic record company line.

[jem @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

i dont get you guys like #3 and #5 what drugs are you smoking, cd's will have more shitty drm but online stores have more!, and cd audio quality shittier than low bitrate mp3...i dont like it like the next guy but grow some brains

[Galley @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

This sounds a lot like SCMS (serial copy management system) employed on Digital Compact Cassettes back in the early 90s.

[Stephen @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

The sofrware site talks about "wrapping" the DRM around the audio files. It does alude to a client application. Though it claims nothing is installed. Regardless of their claims it still sounds like they are trying to use a client DRM application to control the rights on the disc and this copy restriction.

That being said. I'm guessing everyone is right about holding the shift key or using a real OS. (I admit it this was typed on my XP desktop)

[GTgadget @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

No, we won't make them cheaper. We like our huge profit margins per unit as higher volume sales will likely never match that and we might be able to force both. So what if you can buy a DVD for the same price.

Just because you could be able to easily make backups doesn't mean you should be able to; Where's the profit in that? Just buy it again.

...You've gotta love the general RIAA attitude, and they're not bashful about saying **** you with a big smile.

The thing I love the most and where you really would get screwed is on import and out-of-print CDs. There's a CD that I really wanted that is only printed in France. I was going to import a copy of it, but it's copy protected. So after paying a hefty premium to get the CD, I wouldn't be able to make a backup of it. Whenever I get import CDs or out-of-print CDs, I immediately make backup copies and listen to THOSE rather than the originals. That way if they get scratched in my car or whatever, fine. I'd like to support the artist and I really like the CD, but screw that...I passed.

Music labels have never addressed copy protection on CDs that will eventually go out-of-print. So even if you gave in to their pay-to-replace it system, sometimes you couldn't, even if you wanted to. There are some CDs today that I really want to buy, but I can't because they're no longer produced. You literally cannot buy them and are beyond rare on the used market. Sometimes you luck out in a music store, but not often. Like everything else, I'm sure the RIAA's stance about that would be "Too f'ing bad...now instead go buy 's latest album and like it, peon."

Then with online downloads, you pay just as much without extras, a physical copy, nor the ability to make portable backups easily. They really just want you to keep buying the same stuff over and over again while they just sit on their existing catalogs.

Then as DRM and file formats change over time, most of that content will probably get locked up and lost forever too. I already jump through hoops to buy their product and now they're making the hoops smaller and higher. I actually listen to a LOT less music now than I did a couple of years ago. The crap quality of most stuff they're producing combined with all of it being wrapped in barbed wire is a real ****ty strategy.

[CAWPIN @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

"Then with online downloads, you pay just as much without extras, a physical copy, nor the ability to make portable backups easily. They really just want you to keep buying the same stuff over and over again while they just sit on their existing catalogs."

AllofMP3.com, no DRM, ~10 cents a song.

[Terry Whitney @ Dec 19th 2005 12:16AM]

DRM with chips

Extract from Computerworld Today.

Intel's New Pentium D Equipped with DRM Capability - Digital content control now may be possible through your PC's hardware.

Julian Bajkowski, Computerworld Today, 27/05/05

SYDNEY -- Microsoft and the entertainment industry's holy grail of controlling copyright through the motherboard now comes closer as Intel said it is embedding digital rights management within in its latest dual-core processor Pentium D and accompanying 945 chip set.

Officially launched worldwide on May 26, the new offerings come digital-rights-management-enabled and will, at least in theory, allow copyright holders to prevent unauthorized copying and distribution of copyrighted materials from the motherboard rather than through the operating system as is currently the case....


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