Petteri Pyyny
18 Jul 2001 13:29
According to Macrovision, company who built the copy-protection technology for videos that is widely used in video tapes and DVDs, company has provided to several record labels technology that allows them to copy-protect audio CDs in similiar way. Company doesn't want to disclose what titles are copy-protected it says that in last six months labels have sold over 100,000 copies of copy-protected CDs.
Macrovision's CD copy-protection technology was originally acquired from Israeli company called TTR Technologies and it allows regular CD players to play CDs normally, but when digitally copied with CD-ROM drives, it produces "pops and clicks" into audio stream. Protection sounds exactly the replica of Macrovision's video copy-protection that allows VCRs to play tapes, but when tried to copy to other VCR, picture doesn't have colors or is otherwise ruined.
According to Macrovision there are no peaks in returned CDs, so obviously regular consumers haven't had any problems with this protection when played on regular CD player -- previous attempts to create similiar copy-proctection systems have failed because CDs haven't played in certain CD players.
Only real problem with this technology is the fact that in most countries law allows users to make copies for their own use. In other hand, at least in U.S., law doesn't require labels to make CDs copyable -- it just doesn't allow labels to sue people who copy for their own use. But in some European countries these laws are more strict and when you have a master copy that you can copy, game is over -- P2P networks distribute music over the Net within minutes. And of course, all music can be recorded via analog methods -- just simply plug a cable to your soundcard and connect it to your regular CD player.