SunnComm Negates The Shift Key Attack

from the how-nice dept

A little over a year ago, SunnComm (a company that some have accused of being nothing more than a big stock scam) introduced some copy protection technology, that was easily defeated by holding down the shift key, since the software required the autoplay function to work and holding down the shift key prevents autoplay (you can also turn off autoplay on all CDs, effectively doing the same thing). Now, SunnComm claims they've updated their technology to get around the shift key issue, though, it's not clear how the new technology works. They preemptively admit that the Alex Haldermans and Ed Feltens of the world will probably figure out a way around the new copy protection, but that they're "not worried" about researchers, since the average dumb consumer won't know what to do. They also claim that the new technology will work on "100%" of CD and DVD players -- which is a pretty bold claim, since most copy protection seems to have problems with some players. Of course, this isn't actually going to stop anyone from copying a CD they want. Not only will researchers figure out how to break the copy protection, but those who seed P2P networks will figure it out as well. In other words, the content will still be available online. The only thing this really will slow down will be when people want to do something that seems like fair use (making a backup copy?), but can't. Oh yeah, it will also make CDs more expensive, since SunnComm has to get their fee.
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  1. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Feb 2005 @ 4:53pm

    No Subject Given

    The funny bit is that I haven't come across a single copy protected CD that prevents me from using my CD burner software to rip. Even the "Copy Control" protection doesn't even faze the software, only makes it run a little slower. Sad really.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Allen, 4 Feb 2005 @ 7:12am

    Preventing copies...

    Mike,
    They claim that MediaMax allows you to make a "legal" backup copy, but that it inhibits one from making "illegal" copies for neighbor Fred and cousin Darrell and....

    Maybe Fred and Darrell will buy the CD themselves; that's the hope of Universal, BMG, Sony, EMI, Koch, and others who have signed un with SunnComm.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 4 Feb 2005 @ 2:18pm

    Re: Preventing copies...

    How on Earth can the software tell the difference?

    link to this | view in thread ]


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