limit CD burning: Give me more excuses not to buy CDs
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
Tuesday, June 07, 2005 | 09:20 AM | Permalink
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Addenda to previous thread post:
And record guys make radio/TV guys look like geniuses.
Posted by: fatbear | Jun 7, 2005 10:51:20 AM
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.
Posted by: Chad K | Jun 7, 2005 11:45:47 AM
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.
Posted by: thrashbluegrass | Jun 7, 2005 1:29:44 PM
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.
Posted by: Ringmaster | Jun 13, 2005 9:09:03 PM
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.
Posted by: Henry Acquah Robertson | Jun 1, 2006 11:00:48 AM
