New CD copy-lock technology nears market

By John Borland
Posted on ZDNet News: Dec 16, 2004 12:00:00 PM

Several major music labels have already used a version of the British company's technology on prerelease compact discs distributed for review and other early-listening purposes, including on recent albums from Eminem and U2.

The releases for the retail market, expected early in 2005, will be the first time the Sony music label issues copy-protected CDs in the U.S. market, although the company's other divisions have done so in other regions. BMG, Sony's new corporate sibling, has been more aggressive, with a handful of protected CDs released last year.

A Sony BMG representative declined to comment on the plans. First 4 Internet Chief Executive Officer Mathew Gilliat-Smith confirmed that his company plans to release a consumer version of its technology with one major label in the United States, but he declined to identify the label.

Gilliat-Smith said his company has been waiting to improve its technology. Better-known companies Macrovision and Sunncomm have seen sporadic--and sometimes controversial--use of their products on CDs released around the world.

"We're not keen to rush," Gilliat-Smith said. "We have always focused on a high level of protection, but we've waited until there aren't any playability issues."

The new Sony BMG experiments are a further sign that copy protection on music CDs may be moving closer to the mainstream U.S. market. The practice is much more common in European and Asian markets.

For several years, the major record labels have sought a way to protect CDs against unrestricted copying and "ripping," or transforming songs into files such as MP3s that can be swapped widely online. Early experiments proved unpopular, prompting reports that the discs could not play in certain kind of stereos, or might even damage computers.

The past year has seen resurgent signs of interest from the major labels, however. A watershed moment in the United States came when the BMG-released Velvet Revolver album reached the top of the industry's sales charts, despite being clearly marked as copy-protected. Industry insiders said that helped assuage some boardroom concerns about potential consumer backlash.

Questions remain about the appropriate technology to use, however. The copy protection from Sunncomm, used by BMG in the United States, could be fairly easily disabled simply by pressing a computer's Shift key while the CD was loading, for example. That issue has been fixed in the company's most recent version of its products.

It also may be a tricky job to make rules associated with copy-protected discs match those associated with songs purchased from online stores such as Napster or Apple Computer's iTunes. Those stores allow their customers to burn CDs that can then be copied without restriction; by contrast some labels want to limit the number of times a copied CD can be duplicated again--a technology called "secure burning."

First 4 Internet's entry into the market marks a potentially new twist on the basic technology, however. The company got its start by offering a tool to identify pornographic images in Web sites and e-mails, and selling the technology to Web-filtering companies for their own products.

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

• Three Steps You Need to Know to Stop Data Loss Varonis Sensitive data exposed to misuse or loss... it is the stuff of nightmares ... Download Now
• Reducing Server Total Cost of Ownership with VMware Virtualization Software VMware VMware virtualization enables customers to reduce their server TCO and ... Download Now
• Email Security and Archiving - Clearer in the Cloud Google The time is NOW for businesses and organizations of all sizes to implement ... Download Now

• Talkback
• Most Recent of 109 Talkback(s)

• Thread View
• Flat View

Backups?

What about personal backups? When I buy a CD, I make 2 backups. 1 for the car, the other for home. The original never gets used. When the car gets scratched, I make another backup.
If they prevent ... (Read the rest)

Posted by: BorgInva Posted on: 12/30/04 You are currently: a Guest | Log in | Terms of Use

Only a Matter Of Time  bobiroc | 12/16/04

Just another reason not to buy a CD  Arrg | 12/16/04

And be restricted by DRM either way..  d_jedi | 12/16/04

Oh please..  Patrick Jones | 12/16/04

In other news...  BitTwiddler | 12/16/04

I share you view  dave95 | 12/16/04

They sue us, they stop us listening....what next?  Jomo_z | 12/16/04

Jail?  dave95 | 12/16/04

Eminem? Oh Really?  itanalyst | 12/16/04

So you have being lying all this time...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

Since when..  d_jedi | 12/16/04

Yes, No_Ax Never Used To Tape Friends Records To Cassette  itanalyst | 12/16/04

Of course I do, that is legal. Do you understand the difference?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

Obviously You Don't  itanalyst | 12/16/04

That would be Copyright Infringement  B.O.F.H. | 12/16/04

BOFH Don't Argue With Him  itanalyst | 12/16/04

Not really..  Patrick Jones | 12/16/04

EXACTLY BOFH  itanalyst | 12/16/04

What 'Fair Use' allows for...  B.O.F.H. | 12/16/04

Copying a friends CD, Tape or LP is illegal  voska | 12/16/04

Nope..  Patrick Jones | 12/16/04

BOFH, you know better.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

Try again No_Ax!  B.O.F.H. | 12/16/04

Now, you and I both know better.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

What are you going on about, is that guilt?  B.O.F.H. | 12/16/04

Ah, you think you can hide behind NAT.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

Go ahead, I need the laugh!  B.O.F.H. | 12/16/04

By that logic  voska | 12/16/04

No Further Comments From No_Ax = OWNED  itanalyst | 12/16/04

You missed any logic that was there.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

What 'Fair Use' grants (from US Copyright law):  B.O.F.H. | 12/16/04

Of course we do  Yagotta B. Kidding | 12/16/04

Gee kidding, I guess the court ruling is to tough...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

Save for future reference  Yagotta B. Kidding | 12/16/04

Is it over your head?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

Uh-Oh...No_Ax Is About To Blow His Circuitboard  itanalyst | 12/16/04

He's probably too young to have ever seen a Record (nt)  SantiagoCrespo | 12/17/04

I Never Said I Didn't Either  itanalyst | 12/16/04

Every crook has an excuse.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

You're A Walking Contradiction No_Ax  itanalyst | 12/16/04

No one said ANYTHING about from CD to MP3.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

Admit It, YOU GOT OWNED  itanalyst | 12/16/04

Pwned? By a dub like you? Buwahahahaha  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

Wow, Now Who's Throwing Out The Insults? - OWNED AGAIN  itanalyst | 12/16/04

I give this about 15 minutes  Chad_z | 12/16/04

That would require....  tic swayback | 12/16/04

Fine, as long as it's clearly labled  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

Agreed  Tim Patterson | 12/16/04

And...  tic swayback | 12/16/04

Naw, it's buyer beware time.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

There needs to be reasonable expectations met  tic swayback | 12/16/04

True, it's all in the label  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

But you know they'll give it a try....  tic swayback | 12/16/04

But will retailers allow it?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

You may be right here  tic swayback | 12/16/04

Retailers will do nothing  voska | 12/16/04

It's not a CD  rpmyers1 | 12/16/04

Anyone Got A Green Magic Marker? LOL!!  itanalyst | 12/16/04

There's worse...  rpmyers1 | 12/16/04

I Got One Better  itanalyst | 12/16/04

RE: New CD-Copy Lock Technology  raymarc001 | 12/16/04

Why bother?  Patrick Jones | 12/16/04

Why bother indeed  tic swayback | 12/16/04

Perfecting DRM is like  Roger Ramjet | 12/16/04

INteresting, so your saying no software is safe.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

I agree..  d_jedi | 12/16/04

Not true..  Patrick Jones | 12/16/04

No software is *protectable*  rpmyers1 | 12/16/04

Why bother  Been_Done_Before | 12/16/04

The "Analog Hole"  Yagotta B. Kidding | 12/16/04

This is a waste of money  voska | 12/16/04

It's not your money, don't worry about it.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

What's with the hostility?  voska | 12/16/04

The level of the talkbacks I suppose.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

Fear  tic swayback | 12/16/04

Tic, I know you KNOW better...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

Actually, in my experience....  tic swayback | 12/16/04

That's like saying all democrates are pot smokers.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

Record company execs are a very small group  tic swayback | 12/16/04

You'd think the stockholders would have something to say  voska | 12/16/04

The stockholders are very aware that their products  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

Really?  tic swayback | 12/16/04

So Let's Stack Up The No_Ax Scorecard Today  itanalyst | 12/16/04

You obviously feelt eh need, go ahead.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

Why the fascination with No_Ax?  rapson | 12/16/04

He's got a point though  voska | 12/16/04

And you obvipously have a reading problem.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

OMG No_Ax, you are a LIAR  itanalyst | 12/16/04

Please accept my apologies  _G | 12/16/04

Maybe If He Didn't Contradict Himself With Every Other Post  itanalyst | 12/16/04

Maybe if you could read...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/16/04

No, No_Ax You Did It AGAIN, You Contradicted Yourself In ANOTHER Post  itanalyst | 12/16/04

The why not just ignore him?  rapson | 12/17/04

you are 100% correct  _G | 12/17/04

Crazy  r7di697 | 12/16/04

Can't Work - Usless Against Unix/Mac/Etc.  jnonneman | 12/16/04

"but he declined to identify the label."  James T. Kirk | 12/16/04

Only a matter of time....  _G | 12/16/04

Sigh, enough with the fake No Ax posts  tic swayback | 12/16/04

Off topic response  _G | 12/17/04

OMG, you are such an ASS!  gdening | 12/17/04

B-o-o-o-o-r-i-n-g!  tic swayback | 12/17/04

What about people like me?  gdening | 12/17/04

It won't last long  CobraA1 | 12/17/04

a billions of songs and (1) new drm cd, so what!  cybershoplifter | 12/17/04

Do CDs matter anymore  FilledOut | 12/17/04

Music industry's greed  OurManFlint | 12/17/04

As much as greed  FilledOut | 12/18/04

Backups?  BorgInva | 12/30/04

What do you think?

Subject (max length: 75): Reply: