Here’s a brilliant idea: Give people even less reasons to buy CDs.
As part of its mounting U.S. rollout of
content-enhanced and copy-protected CDs, Sony BMG Music Entertainment is testing
technology solutions that bar consumers from making additional copies of burned
CD-R discs.Since March the company has released at least 10 commercial titles — more
than 1 million discs in total — featuring technology from U.K. anti-piracy
specialist First4Internet that allows consumers to make limited copies of
protected discs, but blocks users from making copies of the copies.The concept is known as "sterile burning." And in the eyes of Sony BMG
executives, the initiative is central to the industry’s efforts to curb casual
CD burning.
Here’s the problem: I make a backup copy of a CD I purchased. The original gets scratched, lost, etc. No worries, I have a back up! But now I have no back up — and cannot make one because the original is damaged. So much for "secure burning." (No, I have no interest in making 3 backups of every CD I purchase).
That would be annoying enough as a consumer. But as they say on the infomercials, "But wait! There’s more!"
Its not iPod compatible:
Among the biggest headaches: Secure burning means that iPod users do not have
any means of transferring tracks to their device, because Apple Computer has yet
to license its FairPlay DRM for use on copy-protected discs.
The companies involved include First4Internet, Sony BMG, and the notorious SunnComm and its MediaMax technology. First4Internet’s clients include Universal Music Group, Warner
Music Group and EMI. Billboard reports that "Sony BMG expects by year’s end a substantial number of its U.S. releases
will employ either MediaMax or XCP.
Terrific. One less reason to buy a physical CD.
>
Source:
Sony BMG tests technology to limit CD
burning
Brian Garrity
Reuters/Billboard, Sun May 29, 2005 10:11 PM ET
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=musicNews&storyID=8637014
Addenda to previous thread post:
And record guys make radio/TV guys look like geniuses.
I always make sure to hear a copy of the entire album before I even consider purchase.
However, when I hear an album worthy of purchase… that’s to say… an album on which the entirety of the contents are worthy…. I buy it, sometimes two or three copies… and give them as gifts.
However, I wish there were a way I could buy straight from the artist without going through the labels.
Chad – you can buy directly from the artists (or, at least, independent music distributors). Depends on whether or not you want to buy music you hear on the radio or at independent music shows.
Frankly, attempting to make DRM is very much a fool’s errand; you’re banking that the people you’ve hired are smarter than every single person on the planet.
After all, DVD encryption was beaten by a 14-year old in Norway. Not the best track record.
i agree with thrashbluegrass, every encryption is crackable, but i hope we won’t have to wait as long as we did for DeCSS. at this point the open source/open community model of music is much too far along to stop. it’s an avalanche, and even the record execs know better than to step on the consumer’s toes too much, or they will see another, continued backlash. that being said, there is no way in hell that a technology will proliferate without Apple’s blessing until (if ever) the lose market share.
Iam a Boy in a school and i will be very glad if you could send me some free gift from your center to me so that i can ultilise it here in the school.