New Copy Protection Defeated By The High Tech Method Of Holding Shift Key
from the sneaky-sneaky dept
A few weeks back BMG made all sorts of news about the “new” copy protection they had added to some new CD that would even let you send copies of songs from the CD to friends – though, the songs would only play for 10 days – and let you copy the songs onto 3 CDs that you burned. As with any such copy protection, though, it didn’t take long to find the holes, and a researchers is now reporting that this DRM technology can be defeated by the incredibly high tech method of holding down the shift key as you insert the CD into your computer. Now that’s what I call strict copy protection. This is another example of the music industry trying to make life worse off for legitimate buyers of their music, while doing absolutely nothing to prevent real “piracy”. The music will still get out there just as fast, and the only people this will slow down are legitimate buyers of the CDs trying to listen to their CD.
Comments on “New Copy Protection Defeated By The High Tech Method Of Holding Shift Key”
Correct me if I'm wrong...
But, if you can write the music file to an audio CD, can you not then immediately re-rip it from that audio CD minus any proprietary DRM?
Re: Correct me if I'm wrong...
Yes, you can, which is yet another way to defeat this system.
However, the company that makes the DRM is claiming that the next version of their copy protection technology will wipe out this loophole by making any “burned” CDs carry the technology forward.
Re: Re: Correct me if I'm wrong...
Mike,
Evidently copy protection is a farce.
From blacking out the edges of CD’s to holding down the shift key.
Who cares if the next version might or might not work?
Once again, the copy protection scheme has been quickly circumvented.
Hooray !
Re: Re: Re: Correct me if I'm wrong...
About 20 years ago I was working with on a project with a very smart guy who explained that copy protection of physically distributed digital media was inherently not possible, period. (This was in the days of floppies and Copy II PC for any one wanting a senior moment.)
He said all forms of copy protection are entirely dependent on the amount of time and effort required to crack the scheme and popular and widely distributed software didn’t stand a chance.
Just too many willing co-conspirators. Plus, despite all efforts by the developer to lock every door and close every loop hole, in many cases somebody’s contrarian logic would find an easy solution not even considered by the developer.
As I’ve watch elaborate protection schemes fail time and again, I can’t help but think, “Well, he’s still right.”
Shift-key patent
Surely someone will soon have a patent on “a method of bypassing copy protection by holding down the shift key.”
Of course, holding down the shift key clearlly violates the DCMA. . .