Re: [DMCA-Activists] BMG Promises DRM on all CDs

[Ruben I Safir]

That will be another %50 drop in the CD Market.

No trouble

Focus on the problem


On 2002.11.06 15:16 Seth Johnson wrote:
> 
> (Forwarded from Boing Boing Blog.  Article text pasted
> below.  -- Seth)
> 
> -------- Original Message --------
>     Date: Wed, 06 Nov 2002 07:06:01 -0800
>     From: "Cory Doctorow" <address@hidden>
>       To: address@hidden
> 
> 
> Bertellsman spokespeople are writing to European customers
> promising them that they will soon stop shipping regular
> CDs, flooding the market with copy-restricted discs that
> can't be ripped, played in car stereos, DVD players or
> computers. They argue that since "normal CD players" can't
> rip or copy, that their discs ar still "CDs" that play in
> "CD players."
> 
> Link: http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/27960.html
> Discuss: http://www.quicktopic.com/boing/H/8gQnAYjNd6k
> 
> --
> Posted by Cory Doctorow to Boing Boing Blog at 11/6/2002
> 7:05:57 AM
> 
> ----
> 
> > http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/54/27960.html
> 
> 'No more music CDs without copy protection,' claims BMG unit
> 
> By John Lettice
> 06/11/2002
> 
> 
> Faced with adverse publicity to copy protection on CDs, a
> year ago Bertelsmann Music Group bravely gave in and
> promised to replace a clutch of Natalie Imbruglia CDs which
> were protected by Midbar's Cactus Data Shield. But a year is
> a long time, BMG is at it again, this time apparently set on
> applying copy protection to all its music products. 
> 
> Not, of course, that this should be surprising. The music
> companies are absolutely intent on copy-proofing their
> products, and although they'll maybe retreat a little when
> irate consumers pelt them with ordure, they'll be right back
> just as soon as the heat dies down. And here's how this
> process is working in BMG's case. 
> 
> A few weeks ago reader Simon Barber accidentally bought a
> copy of Paradise Lost's Symbol of Life with Cactus Data
> Shield on it. The CD was marked with the Compact Disc logo
> (although Philips, custodian of this standard, has objected
> to its use on copy-protected CDs) and also had a small print
> 'health warning' claiming the CD conformed to the Red Book
> standard and was playable on standard home CD players. 
> 
> Being a troublemaker Simon didn't try to get his money back
> from the retailer but attacked BMG directly. BMG's first
> line of defence on copy protection is here, where you'll
> find explanations, self justifications and a mail form for
> all European territories. The UK version (and indeed the
> French – that'll annoy them) says “BMG too sees itself
> obliged to protect future releases by implementing a copy
> control system” and “BMG will be using copy control
> technology for digital media as has been used for a long
> time with comparable media such as computer software, video
> games and DVDs.” 
> 
> This is a clear commitment to 100 per cent copy protection,
> and once implemented will no doubt ease the workload of the
> various 'corrupt CD' identification sites considerably. Ah,
> but what if you have a problem playing the CD? “If you can't
> play the BMG product on your player please contact your
> dealer or the responsible person at BMG under (email address
> of the responsible person).” 
> 
> We're sure it makes more sense in German. If you fill in the
> form and send it off to who knows where, this is what you
> get from the BMG Kopierschutz Team (typos left in): 
> 
> “we are sorry you have troubles with our copy protection
> technology. The copy protection reacts on the special new
> technology that is build in in burners. Unfortunately htis
> technics was built in many new CD players, even if they
> can't copy a cd. 
> “The copy protection yet does not recognize wheather that
> burner technics is build in a cd player or in a burner.
> That's why the cd playern might not play a copy protected
> CD. Since burner technics are also built in car radios, this
> may be the reason, why you can't listen to a copyprotected
> cd in your car. 
> “As far as we were adviced, our copy protection is according
> to the Red Book Standart as well as all labelling on the cd. 
> “A standart home CD player is one that has no burner
> technics built in. Our Cds play on all Cd players without
> burner technics. 
> “There will be no cd manufactured without copyprotection any
> more.” 
> 
> Kind of makes you wish you hadn't asked, doesn't it? Our
> intrepid investigator, for the record, had asked about the
> use of the Compact Disc logo, and for information about
> where he could obtain “a disc that actually adheres to the
> Red Book standard.” Picking apart the response, it would
> seem that the boys in Kopierschutz hold that there's no
> labelling problem, that it's all the fault of the dummies
> who build the audio units, that the CD is fully Red Book
> compliant, and that you can't get one without copy
> protection. Indeed, in that last sentence they're claiming
> you won't be able to get anything without copy protection. 
> 
> This is not strictly true – yet. We're told the US version
> of Symbol of Life will be out, without protection, in a
> couple of weeks, so the correct answer Kopierschutz
> neglected to give is, take the dodgy one back to the shop
> then buy the US version. 
> 
> But you can understand their difficulties. If BMG is seen as
> experimenting on Europeans while leaving truculent Americans
> for another day, it might be subject to a certain amount of
> adverse publicity, and sales of the local market products
> might just collapse. 
> 
> Cactus Data Shield producer Midbar, incidentally, announced
> this week that it was merging with Macrovision, which also
> said it was acquiring the copy protection assets of TTR
> Technologies, which developed SafeAudio. So there's a trend
> towards consolidation in the protection racket. If you've
> read the BMG information page on copy protection, you'll
> have noted that the company is evaluating schemes with
> Sonopress. Sonopress publishes a handy comparison of these
> technologies here. Sonopress is a division of Bertelsmann
> Arvato AG. 
> 
> Related links: 
> Campaign for Digital Rights 
> Fat Chuck's Corrupt CD list
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> DMCA-Activists mailing list
> address@hidden
> http://mail.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/dmca-activists
> 
-- 
__________________________
Brooklyn Linux Solutions
__________________________
DRM is THEFT - We are the STAKEHOLDERS http://fairuse.nylxs.com

http://www.mrbrklyn.com - Consulting
http://www.inns.net <-- Happy Clients
http://www.nylxs.com - Leadership Development in Free Software
http://www2.mrbrklyn.com/resources - Unpublished Archive or stories and 
articles from around the net
http://www2.mrbrklyn.com/downtown.html - See the New Downtown Brooklyn....

1-718-382-0585