"Microsoft tells music biz to 'back lock-down CD standard"

Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/09/16/ms_cd_copy_protection/

Microsoft tells music biz to 'back lock-down CD standard'
By MusicAlly (tony.smith at theregister.co.uk)
Published Thursday 16th September 2004 13:14 GMT

MusicAlly (http://www.musically.com/) Microsoft is attempting to force
a last-minute pact with record labels over the future of
copy-protected CDs, according to a letter seen by MusicAlly. The
allegedly leaked document is purportedly from Alain Levy and David
Munns of EMI via Tom Silverman of Tommy Boy Records, who was asked "to
reach out to the independent sector to achieve quick consensus on this
issue [and] report back to Microsoft."

Any such deal would see Microsoft support "an industry-wide copy
control platform" built in to its next-generation Longhorn operating
system, with the computer giant instructing labels that the compatible
secure CDs must contain additional multimedia content, such as bonus
tracks, "as a quid pro quo for adding effective [DRM] into the
consumer experience".
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The letter, dated 2 September 2004, says that Microsoft's offer came
"literally in the last few days" but requires that labels across the
entire industry agree upon a specification for the functionality of
the protected discs by 20 September. Though Longhorn has been in the
planning for years, the implementation of CD audio copy protection
will apparently be finalised "in the next few months".

It is not clear from the letter whether Microsoft's proposal is to
enforce the "Secure Audio Path" concept (which would protect content
all the way to a computer's speakers, making it impossible to make
digital copies by recording from the soundcard) or to build in the
"Active Software Protection" currently used by the likes of
Macrovision.

For their part, Levy and Munns have allegedly provided a "strawman"
proposed framework, which covers familiar ground such as the ability
for CD buyers "to make a specified number of protected copies of the
disc". But there are also some more ambitious requests, such as "when
copying the files to the hard drive the consumer can use any protected
music file format of their choice". We imagine Apple won't be willing
to play ball on this front.

Many independent labels are rumoured to be terrified by the proposal,
our sources suggest, which could grant Microsoft the mandate on CD
copy protection and, if it is accepted by the industry, potentially
increase the costs of CD production.

Is this the biggest hope yet for preventing piracy - or a deal with the Devil? ®

Copyright (c) 2004, MusicAlly (http://www.musically.com/)

© Copyright 2004


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