No more music CDs without copy protection, claims BMG unit

Mictlantecuhtli · Nov 6, 2002

From The Register:
No more music CDs without copy protection,' claims BMG unit

By John Lettice

Posted: 06/11/2002 at 11:28 GMT

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 opyprotection 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.

Mictlantecuhtli · Apr 1, 2003

Well...
More than nine months later:

Originally posted at CNET News.com:
Copyproof CDs moving to market?

By John Borland
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
March 28, 2003, 12:12 PM PT

Copy-protection technology on music CDs may be headed for the U.S. market in bulk this year for the first time, according to one Wall Street analyst.
In a research note published Friday, J.P. Morgan analyst Sterling Auty said that Arista Records, a subsidiary of BMG Music, appeared to be moving to market with CD copy-protection technology produced by SunnComm Technologies.
"We expect volume shipments of protected CDs to ship commercially in the U.S. as early as the May-June time frame using the SunnComm solution," Auty wrote. "This will be the first major step in the growth of the CD audio protection market."

.....

A spokesman for BMG Music said his company's corporate policy, which would affect Arista, has not changed in any way. "We are conducting trials only, and we have not announced any plans to go to market with copy-protected CDs," BMG spokesman Nathaniel Brown said.

:rolleyes:

Last week, I happened to buy one CD. This is what is said in its back cover:

This product is copy protected. It is intended for use only in standard CD audio players and may not play on other devices. The music contained on this disc is playable on PC's by software also contained on the disc. In case of problems please contact your dealer or BMG.

Seems that track 11 contains the software player that is only seen in Windows operating systems. I don't know how this kind of CDs work in Macs, though. Maybe someone could dare to try?

young&wild · Apr 2, 2003

Coward Musics Companies..only thinking of making huge profits by selling cds at high prices. Afraid to lower the price thinking that they will go bankrupt.

Supra · Apr 2, 2003

The new Linkin Park - Meteora CD is copy protected. I popped it in my PC and I cant play any music from it at all. All that I can do is look at some of the cd extras put on it like the video for their song Somewhere I Belong, and some icons and wallpapers for fan websites. Doesn't bother me too much since I only bought it to play it in my car and it works fine there.

filthy_mcnasty · Apr 2, 2003

the LP cd is copy protected yes but if it wont play for you i would recommend you kick your PC. it plays just fine on my computer (and burns just fine for that matter too, despite their copy protection crap)

Th3M1ghtyD8 · Apr 3, 2003

Audio CD Copy protection is a waste of money, on the part of these big companies. At the end of the day there will always be a way of copying Audio CD's providing they play on a standard CD player.

Copy Protection may stop music being directly ripped to MP3, but it will not stop the Line In socket on a PC being able to recieve the audio from the CD player, will it? Yeah it may take a bit longer for people to rip CDs, but it can still be done.

MYOB · Apr 16, 2003

In a situation similar to Mic's screenshot, I copied a copy-protected Shakira CD for someone. Windows couldn't see it, CloneCD couldn't copy it, but BeOS could.... weird

StormBringer · Apr 17, 2003

I won't buy a CD that is copy protected. three reasons, one, I don't like the whole idea of it, two, they won't play on my car CD player, three they won't play on my PC. Those are the two main places I listen to music.

negroplasty · Apr 17, 2003

Well said SB, how can they actually expect people to buy these better CDs? It's only going to waste money and sales, since someone will create a crack or patch to fix them to play on computers, but then they still won't play in cars! Is there any up-side to this??

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No more music CDs without copy protection, claims BMG unit

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