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Sony's New Nagging Copy Protection
Posted by
Zonk
on Fri Jun 17, 2005 09:52 AM
from the annoying-your-customers dept.
from the annoying-your-customers dept.
bort27 writes "You can put away your Sharpies, because Sony has launched a new CD copy protection scheme that is actually designed to be easily cracked: 'The copy-protection technology is...far from ironclad. Apple Macintosh users currently face no restrictions at all. What's more, if users go to a Web site to complain about the lack of iPod compatibility, Sony BMG will send them an email with a back door measure on how to work around the copy protection.'"
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Interesting... (Score:5, Interesting)
So...they've figured out they're not going to stop dedicated music pirates.
So instead of making the copy protection stronger, they're making it weaker?
Ostensibly, this is to stop 'schoolyard piracy' (as if your average 'schoolboy/girl' can't rip tracks to MP3), but I'm seeing a slightly darker angle here...hold on...
<tinfoil-hat>
OK. Here we go:
</tinfoil-hat>
Whew...wearing that thing sure makes you paranoid...but does it make you paranoid enough?
Re:Interesting... (Score:2, Offtopic)
Here's a portion I found interesting:
""This technology is a speed bump. It's trying to dissuade the average consumer from making as many copies as they like," said First4Internet Chief Executive Mathew Gilliat-Smith.
"You're not going to stop tracks getting on P2P sites," he added. "It's designed to stop casual piracy
Now.... how much of "piracy" is schoolyard piracy? I would bet it's a slim amount. Why w
Re:Interesting... (Score:3, Interesting)
Arr, matey.
Re:Interesting... (Score:4, Funny)
Parent
Re:Interesting... (Score:4, Funny)
RIAA: "We want copyright protection!"
Development: "Hmm, this works on stupid people..."
Marketing: "We can spin that!"
And that's how we get a new useless product.
Parent
Re:Interesting... (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm also guessing that many fewer people are going out to buy the new track when they can find out it sucks from a friend 1st.
Re:Interesting... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Interesting... (Score:3, Insightful)
Hey TMM, good to hear from ya. Could be a concern. If you are going to rip a song and distribute it to friends, you certainly don't want to advertize the fact even if it was easy to do.
Personally, I don't believe in distributing -- I think copyright should be honored within the bounds of fair use. To that end, I routinely strip out any encumbrance that interferes with my fair use rights, mostly because I don't want to have to keep up with some technology for
Sing it with me - D. M. C. A. (Score:5, Interesting)
Stop right there. This is the entire strategy.
They're making copying their CD a matter of circumventing an encryption device which is a felony under the DMCA. There's guaranteed to be some encryption in this scheme somewhere, even if it's not the actual data tracks that are encrypted. Perhaps some meta information.
No matter, they're taking illegal copying of a CD from copyright infringement to a felony for easier / more terrorizing prosecution. Pragmatically, that's the only way they're going to be able to enforce artificial scarcity in this market.
Parent
Re:Interesting... (Score:4, Interesting)
I've used tinfoil to gain reception on a TV (a very long time ago). Something tells me we've been tricked into wearing the tinfoil to block signals when in-fact the tinfoil aids reception.
Perhaps the grounded tinfoil shielding reduces your emmissions in order to avoid a tempest attack?
I'm confused, what shall we do?
Parent
Re:Interesting... (Score:5, Funny)
Look at the bright side: you outnumber your ennemies 2 to 1.
Parent
Re:Interesting... (Score:4, Funny)
Look at the bright side: you outnumber your ennemies 2 to 1.
Yeah but I don't fully trust my ally. I sometimes wonder if he's a traitor.
Parent
Re:Interesting... (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah but I don't fully trust my ally. I sometimes wonder if he's a traitor.
You know, he said the same thing about you...
^_^
Parent
Re:Interesting... (Score:4, Interesting)
I sure remember how much more interesting/fun something seemed as a kid if it was something I was told I shouldn't do. Back then it was something like swinging on the rope swing that swung out over the sheer 150 foot cliff behind my house; take intrinsic danger and add a large helping of "I'd not better catch you on that rope swing EVER AGAIN!" and boy, it was irresistable.
Later is was figuring out the copy protection used by the "Space Quest" video game (inserting debug break commands [cc, which was "int 3" IIRC] to make using debug harder); I still bought the game, but I couldn't help but go figure out how to break the copy protection. No harm, no foul; never shared what I figured out.
With music piracy, kids now perceive little if any danger. Adding weak copy protection may just make them feel like they have to break it just to get away with something. For the little geeks out there, at any rate. I don't see how it could possibly curb casual copying, nor why three copies is considered "okay". It's just weird.
Parent
Change your business model instead. (Score:2, Insightful)
FtA: "The whole industry is in discussions with Apple, and we hope to have a solution soon," he said.
The "solution" he wants will lock Apple's customers into the music cartel's own brand of DRM. How is that solving anything for the consumer? Fucking prick.
ok... (Score:5, Insightful)
Interesting... (Score:5, Insightful)
The sad part... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:The sad part... (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:The sad part... (Score:5, Insightful)
Have you ever been to the movies? Some theaters have infrared lights behind the screen to thward movie copying. Thus, you've bought a copy-protected product.
Do you own a car? Go ahead and try to reverse-engineer the electronics and you'll find out what many mom-and-pop repair shops already know -- it's copy protected.
Ever read a newspaper? Copyright protection there, which some people see as copy protection. And if you go along with that line of thinking, then look at the bottom of your screen where it says "© 1997-2005 OSTG." That's right -- Slashdot is protected by copyright, and thus, laws against copying its content. In other words --copy protection.
There's no point in fighting the war. You've already lost.
Parent
Re:The sad part... (Score:5, Insightful)
Furthermore, the auto electronics do prevent reverse engineering and diagnostics, but they aren't "copy protection". Your mechanic is not trying to make a copy of the engine, he's trying to figure out what's wrong to fix it.
Infrared lights in theaters? Cable signals? Yup, that is copy protection. The others are not.
Parent
If you use the back door you are given... (Score:5, Interesting)
Wouldn't stand up in court. (Score:3, Interesting)
what do they do with those emails? (Score:3, Interesting)
I mean, are they harvesting the names of these people who request the 'hot backdoor action' and storing them for later use?
This seems a little disturbing- for the first time they're admitting they're not trying to stop big pirate-mills but slow down the consumer? Why does Sony still sell blank CDs, blank minidiscs and blank audio cassettes then? That's a hypothetical question: I mean, I know they make money off it, that's why they sell it. But they continue to distribute the tools of schoolyard piracy, why spend any more time concocting the latest protection scheme? What a waste of employees.
Let's just hope.... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Let's just hope.... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Let's just hope.... (Score:5, Funny)
Assholes make DRM'd CDs so the dicks can fuck pussys, but what the assholes don't realise is that one day, that dick is going to turn right around and fuck an asshole. Also, the dicks haven't realised that pussys can't fuck assholes, nor can assholes fuck pussys - so all we need to do is get rid of the dicks, and have a happy world full of assholes and pussys!
Parent
Lawsuit shortlist? (Score:4, Insightful)
The scary part to me is the e-mail address... now they can start getting a shortlist of people to look at closer for copyright violation issues. I know I'll let someone else ask for the hack and Google it myself...
backdoor (Score:5, Funny)
Re:backdoor (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:backdoor (Score:3, Informative)
I got yer backdoor right here! (Score:3, Interesting)
If these CDs work in your CD player, then your computer will recognize it as an audio CD. The only thing they can do to prevent that is to install software on your computer to do otherwise. This is why it only works on windows machines.
Sony Assumes too Much (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Sony Assumes too Much (Score:5, Insightful)
I would if I had to keep the tag on even after I've bought the item.
Parent
Re:Sony Assumes too Much (Score:5, Funny)
"I would if I had to keep the tag on even after I've bought the item."
You, sir, are a marketing genius!
We are going to need venture capital to lobby congress to pass legislation to make it illegal to remove those tags.
The consumer buys a dress and wears it once. If she attempts to wear it to another social event (which, I understand, is some kind of social faux pas--don't ask me I've worn the same suit for ten years.) the ink charge will explode and force her to buy a new dress.
We can spin it as a _benefit_ to the consumer, saving her from the embarassment of going to two friends' weddings and being caught wearing the same dress.
Let's patent this business method, and I will split the profits with you.
Parent
I'm waiting for game developers to do this... (Score:4, Insightful)
I know it's totally irrelevant, but given the Sony 'initiative' and the fact they publish games... I'm waiting for this to happen too
What about Sony / BMG's existing DRM? (Score:3, Insightful)
Sony / BMG are making CDs using SunnComm's MediaMaxx that require a software end user licence agreement (EULA) to listen to on a computer, and they can not be ripped into an MP3 or an AAC file. Hence I have no way to listen to these albums on my iPod. I don't believe in agreeing to a EULA to listen to these songs on my home PC, so I can't use these CDs on my PC. And to pay $12-$15 for a CD that I can only listen for twenty minutes on the way to work or doing errands is crazy.
Why is the industry shooting itself in the foot by driving away loyal customers? I want to give bands like Velvet Revolver, Kings of Leon, and the Foo Fighters my hard earned money, but their record labels are not giving me a product that I find acceptable... A good old fashioned compact disk.
Re:What about Sony / BMG's existing DRM? (Score:5, Informative)
Source [princeton.edu]
Start with a Windows 2000/XP system with empty CD drives.
Next, follow these additional steps to disable MediaMax:
Also, I'd suggest disabling autorun.
Parent
Re:What about Sony / BMG's existing DRM? (Score:3, Interesting)
its a trojan horse (Score:5, Insightful)
call me paranoid
Jonathan
Actually I think it's worse than this (Score:3, Interesting)
WARNING it's a trap! (Score:5, Insightful)
Sony BMG will send them the back door (Score:3, Insightful)
Note: This was in the context of copying a Sony DRM protected song to your iPod...
This is a tacit admission by Sony that copying the song from the CD to another device falls within the realm of fair use (meaning you don't need Sony's permission to copy it yourself). Obviously most informed consumers believe that but some testamony in recent lawsuits have been arguing against it. It also means that Sony may have a difficult time suing anyone for breaking the new DRM if they plan to tell you how to do so themselves. It, however, could be a problem with the DMCA, as Sony might be telling you how to circumvent Apple's DRM. Should be interesting to see if Apple responds.
When will they learn? (Score:3, Insightful)
I've got over 1,500 vinyl albums of music of all types, over 1,000 of which I've never played. I've bought them at garage sales and auctions for maybe $100 total. I'm going through and listening, digitizing the ones I like.
So to the Inferno with you, Sony, and may your cash registers melt in the flames of your corporate soul.
Soft Security, Guide Posts: right on! (Score:3, Interesting)
You should have to overcome some sort of speed bump, letting you know: "Hey, if you do this thing, you might be breaking the law. Think about it."
But you should still be able to overcome the hurdle. Because, "who knows?" You might actually have the right, it might actually be okay.
Besides: Some laws, you should be able to make the decision to break or not to break. Not all laws, but some laws. For the simple act of copying a file on your computer, you should be the person deciding what to do. But there should be some small barrier to transgress.
It's like the line of rocks on the side of the road at the park. [usemod.com] "Please don't cross over this," it tells you. You can, and some do, but most don't.
It's called Soft Security, [usemod.com] and it works great. It's all about respecting people, and respecting boundaries. Most people are pretty respectful, and things seem to work. People talk, people have ideas about what is right and wrong, and people don't violate things just willy nilly, provided that there are some cues and attention.
Re:Soft Security, Guide Posts: right on! (Score:3, Insightful)
Under your analogy, it'd be perfectly reasonable for someone to put a barrier keeping you from entering your own property. Under property law that'd be a nuisance and would clearly be i
Re:Soft Security, Guide Posts: right on! (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:and in comes the internet (Score:3, Funny)
Pirate: (Wink* Wink*) I'll buy you lunch if you show me how to hack it.
Scientist: The backdoor info is already online.
Pirate: Screw you then. (Punch scientist, run with CD)
Re:and in comes the internet (Score:4, Interesting)
Pirate: (Wink* Wink*) I'll buy you lunch if you show me how to hack it.
This is an example of why record companies should hate DRM. They have to pay the cost of its development. Then, when it's cracked or sold to organized crime in the dialog above, they lose the sales that are going to the pirates instead of music companies.
The consumers gain little because they are paying the pirates nearly the same amount of money that they used to pay to the record companies.
Record companies create their own piracy problems by persisting in the illusion that all music recordings should cost the same. They should institute an auction type of marketing structure for music sales so that people can chose what they would be willing to pay.
This doesn't work when the product is infinitely copyable and little cost. So the entertainment companies should get out of selling things that are infinitely reproducable at low cost and into some other profitable marketable entertainment product.
Parent
Re:Speed bumps don't work (Score:3, Funny)
Or you just go ask your "geek friend".
Geeks have friends?