iPod Sony/BMG & EMI new copy protection to ALL CDs

[Kid Red]

They are going to a copy protection format that will not allow CDs to be ripped directly to the iPod or other MP3s. Bad move I think considering how immensely popular mp3 players are, especially the iPod right now. I'm surprised Sony is doing this, I guess their mp3 player really sucks.

Sony/BMG is also limiting CD copying. According to Thomas Hesse, president of the company’s global digital music business, about half the discs released in the US today by Sony/BMG have the three-copy limit, and by the end of the year, they plan to have the three-copy limit on all of their releases.

So, why haven’t Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group added this technology? One reason is that songs cannot be transferred directly to Apple iPods and other MP3 devices. Labels know that the most determined bootleggers will find ways around it, but they still aim to stop the average Joe. Maybe it is just a matter of time until the other majors sign on?

http://www.avrev.com/news/0605/14.emi.html

 

[PlaceofDis]

they dont go into too much detail, i would have to get my hands on one of these cds to see if it can't be ripped at all, which i would find surprising. and i wonder how it keeps track of this 3 copy limit. sounds fishy to me......
stupid record companies

 

[WinterMute]

This also makes these disc non-standard and in breach of the license agreement with Phillips...

If they had the CD logo on them, they are guilty of mis-representation.

Besides, all that's needed is for someone with a decent CD player and a good audio recording system on an analogue connection, there's no way to manage that, then it's into iTunes converted to MP3 and AAC and it's out on P2P and BitTorrent and we're back to square 1 on the jolly pirate merry-go-round.

When will the record companies realise they have to evolve or die?

 

[emotion]

the last emi cd i came across contained a player and everything, to stop you copying etc.

thing is on amac you just open the disk that pops up onto the desktop when you insert the cd and drag all the aiffs onto your machine.

the copy protection doesn't work.

 

[dejo]

This also makes these disc non-standard and in breach of the license agreement with Phillips...

If they had the CD logo on them, they are guilty of mis-representation.

Look closely though. They probably aren't displaying the familiar

logo.

Here are a few of my recent CD purchases that do not display the logo:

Godsmack - The Other Side
Norah Jones - Feels Like Home
Heart - Jupiters Darling

On the first two, where you normally see the logo in the top right and bottom left on the "holder" plastic, there is only a blank rectangle.

They should be displaying this logo on the outside so that the consumer can tell without having to open the case (which to most retailers pretty much means you just bought the darn thing).

 

[jauh]

... of course all you need is a cd player with optical out... and voila!

 

[WinterMute]

... of course all you need is a cd player with optical out... and voila!

Not quite, there are ways of disrupting the data stream in any digital connection, it's not a reliable way of recording with new DRM systems about.

Analogue is reliable and is still of good enough quality, especially as most people will be transcoding to MP3 and the quality doesn't matter that much...

 

[WinterMute]

They should be displaying this logo on the outside so that the consumer can tell without having to open the case (which to most retailers pretty much means you just bought the darn thing).

Damn right they should be making it clear, plus there's absolutely no garuntee that a non standard CD will play in a given player.

This is simply making life difficult for the consumer, it won't slow the bloody pirates down at all.

 

[FoxyKaye]

This is simply making life difficult for the consumer, it won't slow the bloody pirates down at all.

Ayup - but isn't that why the Baby Jesus gave us class action lawsuits? Someone is going to challenge this at some point.

I also agree that an analog ripping-system would work just as well for the world of MP3s - honestly, I ordinarily don't care as much about having pristine quality as I do hearing the songs on my iPod, and I suspect a great many non-audiophile consumers are in this same boat. I think you really have to have a good ear (and a good stereo) to tell the difference between original CD quality and a high quality MP3, AAC or Apple Lossless.

 

[Loge]

So by how much are they reducing the price of these discs?

Firstly because they have reduced functionality compared to conventional CDs, and secondly if their intention is to reduce revenue loss from piracy, then some of that saving should be passed back to the consumer.