Re: New CD access restriction

Paul Walker wrote:
> Bit of a late reply, but...

Dragging this back onto the list, which I assume was the intented
target ...

> > the "speed bump" the record companies were looking for.  Average Joe User
> > who can't be bothered to do an internet search to find out what went wrong
> > and fix it will be left without the option of accessing the CD-quality
> > audio directly.
> 
> Which I do object to, but I don't think it'll be a problem for long - see
> later. :)
> 
> > Any thoughts or comments on this approach?
> 
> First, let me say that - like you - I find the fact that the actual
> audio content is uncorrupted is a great step forwards. I still
> wouldn't buy one of these CDs, but it's definitely progress.
> However...
> 
> I really *really* dislike the idea of a CD installing a driver onto
> a computer to try and stop me legitimately using a program I own.
> Particularly if (from the sound of it) the installation program
> doesn't actually say that's what the driver will do.

Okay.

> I also don't think this will last very long. It'll last until
> someone writes a Windows program to access the uncorrupted audio
> session and rip it.

In other words, it might become a war between audio extraction tool
writers and MacroVision's DLL writers.

Is it necessary to always go through the IDE drivers on Windows?  (I
honestly don't know, I am not a Windows coder.)  Maybe it is possible
to hit the IDE hardware directly.  If not, then MacroVision messing
with the Windows drivers could very well be effective.  Maybe your
audio extraction tool would have to completely take over the IDE chip
(including all hard drive access) for a certain period of time in
order to get around that.

Maybe it would be easier just to de-install the modified DLLs or
drivers or whatever they are, or not to install them in the first
place.  An up-to-date de-lousing tool like this is likely to be
simpler and more effective.  Also, this can be independent of the
audio extraction tool, helping keeping the extraction tools
uncontroversial.


> If these CDs become wide-spread, and the program author doesn't get
> greedy, there could be quite a bit of money in it; even if there
> wasn't, I think it would happen anyway. People like to access CDs
> the way they want to, and there are a sufficient number of talented
> Windows hackers.
> 
> Once that happens, the record companies are back in the situation
> where people can rip the audio at will. Then what?

No-one is thinking that far ahead.  The record companies are in the
position of having no technical knowledge nor technical interest.
They will believe whatever MacroVision is selling them.  I mean, that
is exactly what they have done so far.  So long as SunnComm or
MacroVision or whoever can give a convincing presentation, then they
get the contract.  Isn't that how things work in big business?

MacroVision seem pretty confident in their product (giving a demo to
the Register, and so on), and to a certain extent that confidence is
justified by the fact that most users "when in doubt, click Okay".
These kinds of users will all be caught by this kind of protection.
If they have no technical ability or initiative to find help, they
will not escape it either.  So, in these cases success for MacroVision
and the record companies.

This is why I say that maybe it is better to let them fool those who
are going to be fooled anyway, gain uncorrupted audio that works
easily and reliably on everything except PCs, and then save the ones
who have a bit more initiative, i.e. those who will go looking for a
solution.  The knowledge and tools about how to deactivate these
modified drivers must remain freely available.  That is only fair, as
copying a CD for backup or other fair use is completely legal in very
many places.

If this new MacroVision system can give the record companies the
apparent "speed bump" that they are looking for, with a 99.9% success
rate for totally uninspired users, any maybe an 80%-90% coverage with
real but mostly unmotivated users, then maybe that is good enough for
the record companies.  As a bonus, they no longer get endless
complaints about CDs that don't work in cars and DVD players.

If everyone maintains their own little illusory worlds, maybe this
really *can* work and keep everyone happy.

We all just have to stop them trying to restrict access to the tools
and knowledge to work around these anti-rip drivers.  Maybe their idea
of allowing 'protected' CD copies to be made with their own software
is to remove the justification for the existence of non-MacroVision CD
copying software.  Maybe that is how they hope to crush alternative
means of accessing the discs, or de-lousers or whatever they might be
called.

Perhaps that is something to watch out for and defend against.

Jim

-- 
 Jim Peters                  (_)/=\~/_(_)                 [email protected]
                          (_)  /=\  ~/_  (_)
 Uazú                  (_)    /=\    ~/_    (_)                http://
 Brighton, UK       (_) ____ /=\ ____ ~/_ ____ (_)            uazu.net

 SBaGen: binaural beats for brainwave entrainment:  http://uazu.net/SB