Hidden Open Source Code In XCP Designed To Make CDs Work With iPods?
from the the-plot-thickens dept
Just as the whole Sony BMG/First4Internet rootkit fiasco story was first breaking, there was another story making the rounds about how Sony BMG was specifically using the copy protection not to protect, but to try to pressure Apple into opening up their own copy protection scheme. Lots of people had complained about how Apple doesn't open up their copy protection, so no one else can create copy protected songs that go on the iPod. Apparently, the story goes a bit deeper than that. Alex Halderman has been digging into the illegally used GPL code found in First4Internet's XCP technology and discovered that it's designed to add a clone of Apple's copy protection to the music, so that it could play on iPods. However, the code isn't used. It's there, and it's functional -- but it's hidden away. So, either Sony hoped to be able to "turn it on" at some point in the future, if Apple ever agreed to do a deal, or they freaked out when they realized that First4Internet was using GPL code without obeying the license, and asked them to kill the "feature."Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
HUH ???
Just pop a CD into the drive of a mac
Launch iTunes
Click on Import (get CDDB data first)
Copy to your iPod
Voila!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: HUH ???
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: HUH ???
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: HUH ???
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: HUH ???
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: HUH ???
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: HUH ???
Not so. The ones using copy protection do not -- which is part of the reason there have been so many complaints about them.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: HUH ???
If you put them in a Mac they appear as just an ordinary CD, and you can import the tracks into iTunes just like any other CD. Although f4i did write some anti-ripping code for the Mac it doesn't get run automatically. You have to go looking for it.
If you put them in a Linux box, they also appear as just an ordinary CD. There's no anti-ripping code for Linux, but even if there was Linux still does not try to install and/or run programs as soon as a CD is inserted.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: HUH ???
..Can't imagine why they'd do that unless they just wanted to increase their profit$
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: HUH ???
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Corporate Hell
If they charged $0.50 per track and had better ways to search and actually turned out music that was worth buying an entire CD none of this would be an issue.
Anyone ever considered this to be a violation of the home securities act and subversive actions against the US- especially considering these copy “protection” programs have opened countless computers to hackers. It is all too convenient that a corporation this large would create software with such obvious holes.
They need to be brought down with as much ferocity as they went after Napster… and pay everyone back the 75% they owe on all those CDs that cost so much and only had a little good music on it.
Make it affordable, make it work and I will buy more of it. Cheat me and the law should come after you just as hard as it would come after the little guy who gave you competition (eg. Napster)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Corporate Hell
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Corporate Hell
Rather than spending time worrying about what these 'nasty' corps are doing, why not spend that time ignoring them and NOT buying anything from em.
Money is their blood supply - cut off that supply. Once that happens, see how quickly 'the customer' becomes important.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Corporate Hell
so i stick to my cable bill and my bit torrent,and other P2P
its cheaper anyways
[ link to this | view in thread ]