I forwarded the note on copy-proof CDs to a colleague of mine who sent this
reply which makes a few interesting points:
<Quote>
I had seen a press release on this a few weeks back (July 28th) , but some
of the details were different:
http://www.emediapro.net/news99/news732.html
See also:
http://www.c-dilla.com
Curiously I could find no details of the AudioLok product at all on their
web site, but their SafeDisc product at least indicates some knowledge of
CD-ROM technology and copy-protection systems.
As a concept, though, it raises some interesting points.
The ultimate copy-proof disc is one that will play on no players at all.
Tragically for the purveyors of copy protection, not many people could be
enticed into buying discs that won't ever play. In protecting the content
there has to be a trade off that does allow the consumer access to the
content that they have paid for. What I read in this press release sounded
to me like they were proposing something curiously close to the 'ultimate
copy-proof disc'.
The report I originally read did not contain the reference 'and even to
prevent a digital signal from being passed through a player's digital
outputs', which eliminates the most obvious way to get around the
protection. I wonder, was this line added to the report at a later time or
was is just not reported initially?
So we have wonderful copy protected CDs. You cannot play them on your PC.
You cannot play them if you use digital connections between your CD player
and amplifier. And of course, you cannot play them in your hi-fi CD-R deck.
Bummer if any of that limits your options.
Another aside; my experience with DVD players and CD-Rs leads me to think
that DVD players are far less tolerant of mastering errors in CD audio than
are regular CD players, will these discs play in DVD video players? And one
step further on, will they play in DVD audio players? I hope they will work
in DVD players, or they will have to have a really big sticker saying
'WARNING: This disc will not play in PC CD drives, or in home hi-fi systems
that use optical interconnects, or in any CD-R deck; also incompatible with
DVD video and DVD audio players.'
Herein lies what I see as a major problem with the copy protection scheme. A
high quality analogue link to a high quality sound card would allow the
audio to be re-digitized with only minimal loss. Certainly good enough if
all you plan to do is encode to MP3 and post on the internet. So I feel that
they need to re-evaluate the one remaining hole in their protection scheme.
They need to eliminate any form of analogue output. Then they could simplify
the sticker to say 'WARNING: will not play on any CD player at all', and
they would have the ultimate copy-protection system.
This copy-protection scheme eliminates too many legitimate consumers. How
many discs will be returned; 'it won't play on my PC', 'it won't play on my
CD-R etc. How do you market that kind of good publicity?
People expect CD audio discs to be compatible with CD audio players, hey -
is that such a crazy idea? CD-ROM drives are marketed as being CD audio
compatible, as are CD-R decks. This proposal flies directly in the face of
that. 'You need a certain special type of player to work with the protection
system' - maybe they could charge extra for a 'feature' like that. Such an
obvious business idea I am amazed some bunch of Hollywood lawyers hasn't
already tried it. But hold on, anyone know what happened to that wonderfully
successful DIVX system? :)
Bottom line; why do I want to buy a disc that won't play on my PC, that
won't play on my hi-fi system, that I can't transfer to listen to on my
portable minidisc player? Actually, I don't think I have anything that one
of these discs will play on. The answer is a no-brainer:
NO SALE.
(Or maybe I will have to get a pirated copy that I *can* play...)
<EndQuote>
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