MESSAGE
| DATE | 2004-06-19 |
| FROM | Billy
|
| SUBJECT | Re: [hangout] Re: your mail
|
On Sat, Jun 19, 2004 at 01:14:43PM -0400, Ruben Safir Secretary NYLXS wrote:
>
> Copy-blocked CD tops U.S. charts
> Last modified: June 17, 2004, 3:48 PM PDT
> By John Borland
> Staff Writer, CNET News.com
>
>
> For the first time, the No. 1 album in the United States is loaded
> with anticopying protections, marking a clear step into the mainstream
> for the controversial technology.
>
> According to figures released by Nielsen SoundScan, Velvet Revolver's
> "Contraband" was the top-selling album in America last week, despite
> being prominently labeled on its cover as being "protected against
> unauthorized duplication."
>
> The success of the album is likely to prompt more experiments from
> BMG, the band's label, and other record companies, industry watchers
> said.
>
> "It's too soon to tell whether the rest of the industry is going to be
> heartened by this," said Mike McGuire, an analyst at GartnerG2. "But
> clearly, there are going to be a lot of people who are very encouraged
> by the fact it is out on the marketplace."
>
> The step forward is part of a slow increase in the flow of
> copy-protected compact discs into the American market, after several
> years of stalled progress. If the pace increases without substantial
> consumer backlash, the technology could become as commonplace as the
> antipiracy technology on DVDs, ultimately changing the way that
> consumers use their purchased music.
>
> For several years, the big record labels have experimented with
> various versions of the technology, worried by the explosive
> popularity of CD burners and online file trading.
>
> However, they have been wary of releasing the technology in the U.S.
> market on a wide scale. Early versions of copy-protected CDs had
> problems playing in some CD players and computers, prompting customer
> complaints and even recalls.
>
> A vocal segment of the online population has been intensely critical
> of the copy protection plans, leading record label executives to worry
> about potential consumer reaction. Some artists, such as Virgin
> Records singer Ben Harper, have been bitterly angry at their labels'
> decision to include the technology without their approval.
>
> The test with Velvet Revolver, a group made of alumni from Stone
> Temple Pilots, Guns N' Roses and others, was the largest yet for BMG.
> The test uses MediaMax copy protection from BMG partner SunnComm
> International. The label says it does plan a growing number of
> protected releases over the course of this year, but is still choosing
> which CDs will include the technology on a case-by-case basis.
>
> "We're thrilled with the results we've seen and the apparent consumer
> acceptance," said Jordan Katz, an executive vice president in BMG's
> distribution arm. The company has released a total of 12 "copy
> managed" discs, with more than 2.5 million units now in the market, he
> said.
>
> iPods still a problem Like other recent copy-protected albums, the
> Velvet Revolver disc includes technology that blocks direct copying or
> ripping of the CD tracks to MP3 format. It also comes preloaded with
> songs in Microsoft's Windows Media Audio (WMA) format, which can be
> transferred to a computer or to many portable digital music players.
>
> As in earlier tests by BMG and SunnComm, the copy protection on the
> Velvet Revolver disc can be simply disabled by pushing the "Shift" key
> on a computer while the CD is loading, which blocks the SunnComm
> software from being installed. The companies say they have long been
> aware of the work-around but that they were not trying to create an
> unhackable protection.
>
> According to SunnComm, few purchasers have complained about the
> anticopying tools, although angry postings on sites such as Amazon.com
> are common. The sticker on the front of the Velvet Revolver CD and a
> link inside the software that loads automatically on a computer, once
> a user has given permission, points to SunnComm's Web site.
>
> "We hear from less than half of one percent of people who have the
> Velvet Revolver disc," SunnComm CEO Peter Jacobs said. "Most of those
> questions are related to getting the songs onto an iPod."
>
> However, the inability to move songs to Apple's popular digital music
> player, as well as to other devices that don't support Microsoft's
> Windows Media digital rights management services, is a serious
> shortcoming. Jacobs says SunnComm recognizes that--and that the
> company's next version will go beyond the Microsoft files and be able
> to create multiple kinds of digital files that will be compatible with
> the iPod.
>
> But for now, iPod-owning Velvet Revolver fans don't have a direct
> alternative.
>
> "We are actively working with Apple to provide a long-term solution to
> this issue," a posting on SunnComm's Web site reads. "We encourage you
> to provide feedback to Apple, requesting they implement a solution
> that will enable the iPod to support other secure music formats."
>
> Also on Thursday, SunnComm announced that EMI Music would begin using
> its technology on advance and promotional releases. That marks the
> second major label, following BMG, to adopt SunnComm's tools
> officially, although others are also testing them.
>
> EMI Music has "been encouraged by the success that SunnComm's MediaMax
> product has enjoyed," Richard Cottrell, global head of antipiracy for
> the record label, said in a statement. "We are pleased that SunnComm
> is developing a product that improves our ability to protect our
> artists' works, especially during the prerelease phase."
Check out SunnComm's tech support: http://www.sunncomm.com/support/#17
| Question - Is there a way to remove your software?
|
| Answer - Please note that MediaMax was designed to manage and safeguard
| the copyrights of specified artists' CDs while giving you an enhanced
| visual and listening experience. It does not interfere with or impact
| any of the normal operations and/or functions of your computer.
|
| We thank you for your support of your favorite artist's rights.
Mindblowing.
| Question - Can I play MediaMax CDs on Linux computers?
|
| Answer - Yes and no. MediaMax does not support the Linux operating
| system, so you will not have access to the bonus features included on
| the CD. However, Linux systems can play the audio portion of the CD
| normally, just the same as they would any other music CD.
Wow.. You find Linux ads in the strangest places these days...
| Question - Why can't I copy the music to my iPod?
|
| Answer - Currently, Apple is not supportive of competitive digital
| rights management formats. This limits the iPod to only playing secure
| content purchased from the iTunes store. We are currently working with
| Apple to implement a solution enabling secure CDs to be exported to both
| iTunes and the iPod. We encourage you to contact Apple and ask them to
| implement an acceptable solution.
| ...
| In the meantime, we have left a backdoor open to allow this to happen
| now. Please follow the instructions below in order to move your content
| to the iPod.
|
| If you have a Mac computer:
|
| You can copy the songs using your iTunes Player as you would normally
| do.
Psst! Macs don't execute anything when you insert a CD. Pass it on.
| If you have a PC you can do the following:
... [ followed by a boring process involving burning a new audio CD from
the WMA files on the CD and ripping THAT CD into MP3s] ...
____________________________
NYLXS: New Yorker Free Software Users Scene
Fair Use -
because it's either fair use or useless....
NYLXS is a trademark of NYLXS, Inc
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