Macrovision preps '99% effective' CD lock-in tech

[MacBytes]

Category: News and Press Releases
Link: Macrovision preps \'99% effective\' CD lock-in tech (http://www.macbytes.com/link.php?sid=20040727100318)
Posted on MacBytes.com (http://www.macbytes.com)

Approved by Mudbug

[shamino]

... as they run as quickly as possible to slaughter the goose that's been laying golden eggs for the past 50 years.

Macrovision and the RIAA may think they're helping something, but mark my words - if I ever buy a CD that I can't rip into my computer and play on all of my players as much as I want, that will be the LAST CD I buy from any major label, period. From that minute onward, all future music purchases will be either unprotected downloads or material published by the bands themselves (produced without a major label).

When this happens, I will make sure to write letters to all the major labels and let them know exactly why they will never see another sale from me. I currently buy 20-50 CDs a year. They'll probably think "who cares what one jerk thinks", but they'll notice if a lot of people start doing the same thing.

Of course, they'll probably conclude (incorrectly) that the sales are really lost to piracy, giving them an excuse to make life even more miserable for their customers. Maybe this time with CDs that spew poison gas when inserted into a computer.

[nagromme]

I think they'll see the trend quite clearly, when protected "CDs" don't sell in the volumes that REAL CDs do.

[Fuchal]

... as they run as quickly as possible to slaughter the goose that's been laying golden eggs for the past 50 years.

Macrovision and the RIAA may think they're helping something, but mark my words - if I ever buy a CD that I can't rip into my computer and play on all of my players as much as I want, that will be the LAST CD I buy from any major label, period. From that minute onward, all future music purchases will be either unprotected downloads or material published by the bands themselves (produced without a major label).

When this happens, I will make sure to write letters to all the major labels and let them know exactly why they will never see another sale from me. I currently buy 20-50 CDs a year. They'll probably think "who cares what one jerk thinks", but they'll notice if a lot of people start doing the same thing.

Of course, they'll probably conclude (incorrectly) that the sales are really lost to piracy, giving them an excuse to make life even more miserable for their customers. Maybe this time with CDs that spew poison gas when inserted into a computer.

Same here. The first thing I do is rip the CD into iTunes and put the CD away. If I can't do that, the CD is useless to me and a waste of my money. My older Sony CD deck also can't play copyright protected cds.

[Loge]

"Mehlman said Macrovision is actively researching coding to foil discs ripped on a Mac, and is working on a version of ASP for the Mac OS. If the company is successful in persuading Apple to license its FairPlay DRM technology, it will add iPod support - essentially by adding FairPlay-protected AAC tracks to each protected CD's data session."

As said already, the best defence is not to buy such disks. I find it hard to believe that Apple would licence Fairplay to those who are actively trying to make life harder for Mac users to listen to music they have legally purchased.

[bousozoku]

"Mehlman said Macrovision is actively researching coding to foil discs ripped on a Mac, and is working on a version of ASP for the Mac OS. If the company is successful in persuading Apple to license its FairPlay DRM technology, it will add iPod support - essentially by adding FairPlay-protected AAC tracks to each protected CD's data session."

As said already, the best defence is not to buy such disks. I find it hard to believe that Apple would licence Fairplay to those who are actively trying to make life harder for Mac users to listen to music they have legally purchased.

It's sometimes difficult to tell which CDs are protected, but I continue to check. Thankfully, at least one online merchant with which I deal mentions the fact that the certain CDs are not Macintosh-compliant.

[Photorun]

I agree with the consensus of posters here. And if it's a music CD I can't buy anywhere and it's not on iTunes I'll steal it online. Either way this draconian BS the RIAA and big evil fat rich white scumsucking profit but not real music loving scumbuckets at the labels will hopefully only make themselved endangered species. Eff 'em!

[space2go]

I don't think Fairplay will licensed either but for another reason. Steve Jobs has again and again publicly stated that it is no more than a speed-bump and although that is true for all DRM schemes it seems that RIAA and the ilk prefer to buy from snake-oil vendors rather than from those who honestly point out facts.
Posing with (nigh) unbreakable systems that in reality are mere jokes just fits better into the general FUD i think.

[edesignuk]

Can't see that it matters, someone will always find a way round it ;) :D

[brap]

It's sometimes difficult to tell which CDs are protected, but I continue to check. Thankfully, at least one online merchant with which I deal mentions the fact that the certain CDs are not Macintosh-compliant.
It's not, really. They can't legally display the "Compact disc digital audio" logo on them, because they p**sed Philips off by bastardising their CD technology, in much the same way as we have "Disney DVD"s. It's not just a marketing scheme, y'know...

And yes, there have been a couple of new CDs I've wanted to buy from majors which have been DRM protected. I went straight ahead and downloaded them from the great big wide internet; I will never buy a disc without being able to copy it onto my hard disc - for the simple reason I travel, and would much rather have data on my ultraportable's HD than a wallet full of CDs.