When Universal Music Group on Tuesday releases the soundtrack, ``Fast & Furious -- More Music,'' consumers won't be able to copy the music onto another CD or use their PCs to ``rip'' tracks in digital MP3 format. The copy-protection technology will also render the disc unplayable on Macintosh computers, DVD players and game consoles, such as Sony's PlayStation 2. It might not even play in some CD players.

http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/svfront/cd121701.htm


So basically to keep people from pirating music, they're basically going to cripple the CDs. I'm not sure about anyone else here, but when I buy a CD, I rip it to MP3 and burn a few albums onto a CD-R. I then use that MP3 CD in my portable MP3 CD player for long car trips or at work in my computer's CD drive. I'm sure this will be cracked within a few days of the CD being on the market though. (If it's not already cracked. ) I have no problems with them stopping pirates, but I do have a problem with them crippling my fair use rights to do it.

I heard that Sony already used this method on the latest Michael Jackson CD. Anyone confirm this? (i dont have the album)? If it is true has anyone managed to crack it yet?
Apparently they managed to do this by adding static background noise to the whole length of the CD meaning if you rip the tracks they just sound like static. This has resulted in them being unplayable in certain CD players, including many CD-Rom's, DVD players and other CD Reading devices.
Any more info on this topic would be most interesting.

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The only way to copy the CDs is via CloneCD.. a 2 year old burning program that copies the data bit by bit, not by data. It will even burn the errors intentionally put on the disk into the copied one.

As for ripping it... I think there is a MP3 ripper that pulls the music as you play it. But of course, your CDrom needs to be able to play it first =-)


W@KK0
"Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."

"Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I'll remember. Involve me and I'll learn."

I believe they released the copy-protected Michael Jackson CD in Europe only. Interestingly, BMG also had a copy-protected CD test program and stopped it when they got too many complaints. I'll definitely complain and demand a full-refund if I stick the CD into my CD-ROM and can't play the music.

I am sure some Taiwanese, Chinese, or Hong Konger will be able to crack such "technology" within weeks or months.
They did cracked the WinXP registration thing even before it release to the market offcially.

Another interesting article on a related subject (the SSSCA):

http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,49201,00.html

Academics and free-speech groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation have savaged the SSSCA. The EFF even has a sample letter to send Congress that argues it will stifle technology and thwart fair use rights.

Disney's Padden wasn't buying it. "There is no right to fair use," Padden said at the event. "Fair use is a defense against infringement." (emphasis mine)

So according to Padden, consumers have no right to fair use at all! [begin sarcasm]If you claim that you have the fair use right to rip a CD to MP3 for your own personal use, you're just trying to defend your infringing actions.[end sarcasm]



EDIT: Just found another Wired article that might explain why Universal is going this route (and it's not piracy):

http://www.wired.com/news/mp3/0,1285,49188,00.html

On Tuesday, Universal Music Group becomes the first label to sell copy-protected CDs in the United States with the release of its soundtrack Fast & Furious -- More Music. This comes at a time when the recording industry is asking consumers to pay for music that can only be listened to on the PC.

The newly released CD will keep people from listening to their music on the computer, game consoles and other digital devices. If they wanted to go through the major labels to buy the same music for their computer, the only way would be to sign up for Pressplay, one of the major label subscription services, when it launches later this month.

So their plan is "You buy this CD to only play in CD players. Want to play it on your computer? Well, pay for it again and we'll give you it in a 'computer-only' format." (In other words, pay twice for the same CD.)

Thanks for the heads up Jason, about the fact that these CDs are now shipping.

As long as the new CDs are labled as: for cd players only, or not for computer use, then thats my tip off to avoid purchasing them. If enough people do this and there profits drop, then this scheme may change. However I'm not holding my breath on this.

BobGuyİ
No virus friendly Micro$oft products were used in the creation of this reply.

But will that warning be in plain view? Maybe not. It'll probably be in the fine print somewhere on the inner sleeve.... have to break the shrink wrap and open it, to see that.

Edit: I read the original article more in depth, and I see they are going to be disclosing the fact in plain view that it's copyrighted and there may be playback issues. I still doubt they'll come right out and say, in plain english the full implications. It'll be a legal out... leaving the consumer to take the initiative to get a refund.

Those swine think that's been their right all along, to restrict the content to that one article of media. (i.e. if you really read the legal crap, you're not legally allowed to make any copies according to that. A court would argue on fair use though... just because they make you agree to something doesn't mean it'll stand up in court). I wouldn't put it past them to just go ahead and implement this. The not being able to use the CD on a PC would be a side effect of the copy protection scheme to them and they'd argue that it's within their rights to protect their intellectual property. (I'm guessing that this would be their defense... not a legal expert at all)

Hit them where they live people. Don't buy into it, at all. Let them see sales go down on all fronts. That's the only way to fight against this because no amount of protesting or petitioning is going to make a difference against big money.

Grogan

Or better yet, buy the CD, open it, stick it in your DVD player/PC CD-ROM watch it not work, bring it back to the store and demand a refund. Retailers might actually accept returns on these CDs even if they're opened since Universal said it will honor refunds. If they won't though, still try to return it to the store and make a scene. It might just make the store think twice before stocking those CDs. Then go and complain to the record company themselves (with the toll-free number in the package) and demand a refund.

If you don't buy the CD in the first place the RIAA will just assume that their lowered sales are due to piracy. After all, they seem to blame piracy for any lowered CD sales as it is. Sales of albums off by 1% in a weakened economy? Can't be consumers trying to save some cash. Must be them thar pirates!

As for the labeling of these CDs, it looks like there's going to be a "this CD is copy-protected" label on the front with details inside. Problem is, "copy-protected" will mean nothing to most folks. Joe Average will buy the CD (probably not even noticing the sticker), stick it in his CD-ROM, and wonder why it won't play. The "details" will probably be fine print tucked away so that most people will assume it's a problem with their DVD player/CD-ROM and not with the disk. (I wonder if we'll see a rash of "My CD-ROM is broken" posts here.)

I buy 3 or 4 music cd every month. I will just stop buying
music cd's until the record companys come th their cents.
It time to boycot the cd racks.

I'm giving this one about a month before it gets cracked (not that i'm advocating it or anything }> )

This is one area where the consumer will definitely lose if they don't fight back. Guess i better get a new patch for my eye

I'd be willing to take that "one month till it's cracked" bet... I think it'll be much less than a month. }>

Make sure that you get a comfortable patch DM, LOL

This could get very interesting, very fast. You buy 10 CDs, take it home, make a exact copy, take the CDs back to the store for a refund, beacuse "these CDs will not play in my old CD player". Hey I had to open each and every one to see if they would play

About the only thing that you may need is the name of a old cd player that does not play these new CDs.

This is to funny, they may be shooting themselves in the foot, and not even knowing it, because this time you would have a valid reason to return the CDs for a full refund, LOL

BobGuyİ
No virus friendly Micro$oft products were used in the creation of this reply.

Almost every single store that sells CD's/Software has a no-return policy after it has been opened, no exeptions. And I have a large collection of patches to choose from... You know, i bet the guys on IRC are just loving this, they are always looking for a new challenge

>Almost every single store that sells CD's/Software has a
>no-return policy after it has been opened, no exeptions.

While I have returned defective media for refund and/or exchange to stores, you may have to take it up with the record company if it's opened. (It's like that with software right now... you can take it back to the store if unopened, but if it's opened you'll have to take it up with the vendor to get a refund... simply saying "no, I don't accept the license agreement" would suffice and would be easier than trying to tell them their software doesn't work properly)

Grogan

Hmm... I'd bet that there is a office supply somewhere that sells a shrink wrap whirleygig contraption that would (re)shrinkwrap those CDs

Ya never know unless you try google first lol

Now that I think about this, a shrink wrap whirleygig contraption could pay for itself real fast HAHA.

Think of the possibilities.

BobGuyİ
No virus friendly Micro$oft products were used in the creation of this reply.

lol on the whirlygig contraption. Good idea.

Grogan

Would one of these work?

http://www.uline.com/AdvSearchResult.asp?SubGroup=2452&Source=16


}> }> }>

Ya never know Jason

Of course someone could be a real bastard and put 650 megs of mp3 on a CD, then put that (mp3) CD back in the CD jewel case and seal it up, return it for a refund. And keep the original CD.

Na that is a really bad idea! Don't do that!

Sorry I was just thinking of the "possibilities". hehe

BobGuyİ
No virus friendly Micro$oft products were used in the creation of this reply.

They have much cheaper systems than that at Office Depot.

LilJoe

Yeah ... think of the possibilities .... fraud charges and all

But I am p...d off too about the heavy handed practices. I am with Grogan ... just don't buy. At all. even the non-copy protected ones. Till the prices get realistic across the board.

An interesting link ...

http://www.boycott-riaa.com/

  

Those recording industry conglomerates all stick together... so I'll apply this policy right across the board.

Grogan

FWIW, the current issue of Maximum PC has a good article on what's legal and what's not...and, the line on many issues is less than clearly defined. Unfortunately, the magazine is apparently the only way to read it as it's not on their website.

OKey, having read all of the above and agreeing with all of it...Why not record your CDs off the sound system in the computer. Caertainly the sound going to the speakers is recordable. Take a line level feed from your sound board to the line input of a burner....
What I suppose the arguement against this is because of signal purity and, of course, there would be some........