Sometimes it's so simple...


'Copy-proof' CDs cracked


London - Technology buffs have cracked music publishing giant Sony Music's elaborate disc copy-protection technology with a decidedly low-tech method: Scribbling around the rim of a disk with a felt-tip marker.

Internet newsgroups have been circulating news of the discovery for the past week, and in typical newsgroup style, users have pilloried Sony for deploying "hi-tech" copy protection that can be defeated by paying a visit to a stationery store.

"I wonder what type of copy protection will come next?" one posting on alt.music.prince read. "Maybe they'll ban markers."

Major music labels, including Sony and Universal Music have begun selling the "copy-proof" discs as a means of tackling the rampant spread of music piracy, which they claim is eating into sales.

The new technology aims to prevent consumers from copying, or "burning", music onto recordable CDs or onto their computer hard drives, which can then be shared with other users over file-sharing internet services such as Kazaa or Morpheus MusicCity.

Aggressive anti-piracy push

On Monday, Reuters obtained an ordinary copy of Celine Dion's newest release A New Day Has Come, which comes embedded with Sony's "Key2Audio" technology.

After an initial attempt to play the disc on a PC resulted in failure, the edge of the shiny side of the disc was blackened out with a felt tip marker. The second attempt with the marked-up CD played and copied to the hard drive without a hitch.

Internet postings claim that tape or even a sticky note can also be used to cover the security track, typically located on the outer rim of the disc. And there are suggestions that copy protection schemes used by other music labels can also be circumvented in a similar way.

Sony's proprietary technology, deployed on many recent releases, works by adding a track to the copy-protected disc that contains bogus data.

Because computer hard drives are programmed to read data files first, the computer will continuously try to play the bogus track first. It never gets to play the music tracks located elsewhere on the compact disc.

The effect is that the copy-protected disc will play on standard CD players but not on computer CD-Rom drives, some portable devices and even some car stereo systems.

[LV426]

My method:

1) Place copy-protected CD into CD Walkman.
2) Connect Walkman output from CD to soundcard on PC.
3) Start audio capture software
4) Hit "Play" on Walkman.
5) Pause Walkman and stop recording between tracks
6) Place resulting .wav files onto new CD. Make as many copies as you want.

Works for all CDs and copy protection techniques

It's not a true digital copy of course. But it would take a real audiophile and some high-end equipment to even notice, I suggest.

[mjn]

use a PC with Plextor reader and yamaha burner, and use "bit-for-bit" copying software, no problem.

[RMCF]

I am just a little baffled as to why you would want to copy a Celine Dion album anyway??

[nutcase_1uk]

Originally posted by SOK
I am just a little baffled as to why you would want to copy a Celine Dion album anyway??

lol!

I'd heard about there being a pen technique, but until today didn't know what it was. I saw teh article that the above was quoted from.

[Setenza]

I have the following DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive in my Toshiba Satellite 2800 500:

Toshiba SD-R 2002.

I have upgraded the firmware to make the drive region free. I'm running XP professional and have Easy CD Creator 5 platinum installed.

I obtained for Fathers day, the AOTC soundtrack, that clearly states on the packaging, will not play on PC or Mac.

Well, sorry to contradict you Mr Sony but it plays and converts to MP3 with no problems.

I'm not advocating piracy. Nope I'm one of those punters that connects my laptop to my home cinema set up. I have several hundred MP3's (most of which I made from my own CD's).

Labelling all people that use PC's etc for music listening as potential pirates, is insulting and wrong.

Glad all the money you invested in this anti-piracy software has failed Mr sony. That'll learn teach you NOT to bite the hand that feeds you.

Thing is, once it's converted to Mpeg it's out there and there's no stopping it.