Copy-protected CD Tops U.S. Charts

Joey Patterson writes "CNET is reporting that Velvet Revolver's new album, 'Contraband', which is protected with SunnComm's anti-copying technology, has topped the U.S. album charts. The SunnComm and BMG execs quoted in the article say that they're pleased with the apparent consumer acceptance of the anti-piracy technology, but they have been hearing questions about how people can get the copy-blocked songs from the CD onto an iPod."

How to get the songs onto iPod

[Anonymous Coward]

This is only for owners of the new CD. All others will be sodomized by a big helicopter

Step 1. Go Here [newzbin.com]

Step 2. Connect to the newsgroup of your choice.

Step 3. Download the music for the CD that you own.

Since you can't do this via legal means you clearly will have to do it via this somewhat legel method.

Re:But..

[zors]

RTFA. There is a sticker on the CD that its copy protected.

Re:right...

[tiptone]

running Fedora Core 2, gnome-cd wouldn't play it and grip couldn't rip it. though XMMS played it just fine using the CD Audio Player 1.2.10 [libcaudio.so], and XMMS does have a Disk Writer Plugin sooooo i think that's pretty much copy-protection broken with no new software needed.

This is TRIVIAL to bypass

[Anonymous Coward]

The CD isn't really protected in any way.

According to the article [com.com], it has anti-copying software (read: spyware) that installs automatically using Windows Autoplay if you insert the CD into your Windows PC, but the CD isn't otherwise protected.

So if you have Autoplay turned off, or use Linux or a Mac, or simply hold down Shift [com.com] while you insert the CD, you can rip the files fine. This workaround has been known since last October, when the SunnComm copy "protection" system was first introduced.

About that warning sticker...

[lowe0]

Pros: the sticker's big, shiny, and eye-catching.
Cons: it's in the tiniest type I've ever seen.

Re:What shits me...

[Trillan]

In this case, the CD uses MediaMax protection. MediaMax protection does not involve any of the tricks you listed.

See this article [princeton.edu] for a description of MediaMax.

Re:Not surprising...

[DeeKayWon]

it's not a REAL CD by the established standard.

My impression from the reports about the copy prevention system used is that it is a valid hybrid data/audio CD - ripping is prevented only when the software on the CD, which blocks the CD from being recognized as a standard audio CD, is installed. Without the software, the CD shows up in ripping programs like any properly-made audio CD.

Yes, there are many copy prevention systems that deliberately malform the data on the CD, breaking its compliance with the Red Book spec, but this isn't one of them.

Defeating the SunnComm protection.

[bigwayne]

I'm not sure if this has been posted, nor am I sure if I'm breaking any laws by posting it. If I am, I'm sorry, and before the mods delete this post, its wrong to install stuff on computers without asking, its just common sense.

1. Insert the CD and let the software run if you haven't already.

2. Remove the CD and restart your computer without the CD installed.

3. Enter the Device Manager (Right-click on My Computer-> Properties-> Hardware Tab-> Device Manager.

4. From the View menu, select Devices by Connection, then select Show Hidden Devices.

5. Scroll down and find the device called "SbcpHid", right-click and DISABLE it.

6. Close Device Manager, Windows should ask you to reboot, say Yes.

This will disable the protection, allowing you to listen to the CD using Windows Media Player, you can even rip the songs to MP3 for backup without the garble.

Re:But..

[WIAKywbfatw]

What difference does that make? There's a sticker on my parents' VCR that says "long play" and another that says "Nicam Stereo" but neither of them has a clue what either of those things mean.

Just because people have bought something that doesn't mean that they have fully understood every aspect of what they've bought. Just as my parents don't appreciate the full functionality of their VCR most CD purchasers don't appreciate the restrictions attached to these copy-protected "CD"s*.

(* Technically these copy-protected discs aren't CDs, because they don't meet the red book standards, hence my use of quotation marks.)

Re:Hilarious

[Edgewize]

needless to say, I didn't like them very much and propmptly deleted the music files (within 24 hours i assure you!)

Please stop perpetuating the 24-hour myth. Length of posession has absolutely nothing to do with copyright law. 30 seconds is just as illegal as 24 hours.

Re:Can EAC copy it?

[The-Bus]

Well, here's what I can surmise so far...

The CD has an auto-load software (which loads seemingly even when you ask windows to NOT load it for you). Software asks you to agree or disagree to a EULA. If you disagree it ejects the CD. If you agree (I haven't) it presumably installs some sort of mal-ware.

If you let it auto-load it will load the software into memory, even once you take the CD out (and will probably do so whenever you accept the EULA* and it installs permanently).

The apparent workaround I found for Windows was just to have the CD in the drive and reboot. No loading, EAC extracts it just fine without errors. This, (pay attention RCA Records / BMG ) then lets me have fair use the CD as my rights and the law allow . The CD I bought, I can now listen to on my computer. What does this do?

Well, let's see. I can:
1. Download the album. (Very easy)
2. Buy the CD (difficult but I do it because I want to support the artists). Then spend an extra 5-15 minutes to see how to circumvent it? Don't make my choice easier.

Here's some info from the back of the CD (which I have in my lap right now): "Digital files on this CD will also play on portable players supporting secure WMA files." It also says it requires 98/2000/XP.

Oh yeah, accessing the CD via Explorer crashes Windows. I keep sending Error Reports to Microsoft...

The CD also has a fun little "introduction" in "cool guy" terms... Excerpts here:
Welcome to your new "Expanded Experience" compact disc.

This CD utilizes exclusive Cd3 technology by SunnComm, Inc. to "open the door" to exciting new dimensions of digital entertainment. You're about to experience Compact Disc entertainment like you never have before.

You've probably already noticed our "Expanded Experience Ladybug Logo". Whenever you see that logo, it's your assurance that you've purchased a legitimate, first-quality CD with the added bonus features of Cd3 technology. You get to experience the music just the way the artist intended.

While this CD will play automatically in any standard CD player, it does require specific digital files to play on your computer. To insure optimum quality and playability of all of the content included on this CD, the CD is configured to automatically run a quick series of simple functions, including a search for the proper digital "keys" for this system, and the automatic copying of your music onto your computer's hard drive. In other words, the CD does all your set-up work for you!

AT NO TIME DURING THESE PROCESSES WILL DATA BE COLLECTED ABOUT YOU OR YOUR COMPUTER

Note: Your computer must have a software music player capable of playing protected Windows Media Audio and Windows Media Video (WMA & WMV), such as Microsoft Windows Media Player Version 7. If you do not have such a player, please visit the following website to obtain an upgrade:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/do wn load/default.asp

The CD will access and deliver your digital keys and content via a secure music delivery system. Just let the CD "do it's thing", then kick back and enjoy the ride!

________________________________________
The EULA on the CD (emphasis mine):

BMG DIGITAL CONTENT END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

This CD contains digital music files and related content (Digital Content) as a bonus for you, the End User (End User or you). Access to the Digital Content requires digital keys that are downloaded to your computer system via a secure digital key delivery system. Your acceptance of this End User License Agreement (Agreement or EULA) is required for these digital keys to be downloaded and for you to use the bonus Digital Content. At your option you may copy the digital content to your computer system. This audio compact disc utilizes MediaMax technology by SunnComm to deliver enhanced features to your c

WMA vs. AAC/MP3

[tepples]

The brigade, in this case, is incorrect. Some varieties of the Corrupt Discs contain restrictions-managed .wma files that the owner can copy to a limited number of WMA players. Almost every modern pocket music player can play WMA, but Apple's iPod player can't.

My experience with the disk

[jbfaninmo]

Let's just make the **IA happy and say I was making a personal backup copy. The disk seems to have two sessions, a data and an audio. The audio session seems to be unreadable if you just put the CD into a Windows box and expect to be able to rip audio. Windows just seems to ignore the audio session. I suspect that the TOC has been screwed up.

My work around was quite simple. First turn off auto run because it will pop up an EULA when you put the CD in to install the Suncomm crap. I got an image of the CD fine with Alcohol. I then burned it with CloneCD. When I put the copy into the CD-ROM drive, iTunes picked it up as an audio CD. I can only assume that CloneCD wrote the TOC correctly.

As far as Linux goes, I only tried K3b and it could get a good image from the CD.

How to use the Line In feature:

[IchBinDasWalross]

For people who don't speak Babelfish:

Get a cable which you can plug into your CD (Note: "real Compact Discs" don't ever have DRM) playing device of choice. It should have a male port on both ends. Plug one into your microphone port, the other into your CD player. Open a device (for example, sound recorder) and click record. Hit "Play" a half second later so you don't cut off anything. After the song finishes, stop the recording, clip off parts from the beginning and end, and save as a .wav file.

With your .wav, run it though a program for audio compression, maybe MKW audio compreesion toolkit. Then, distribute it to as many of your friends as possible.

MKW = http://www.etree.org/mkw.html [etree.org]

GRIP for linux ripped like a charm

[Pr0xY]

I bought the album, afer all I am all for supporting Scott Whiland's drug habit, but I also noticed that GRIP for linux ripped it without a second thought...so much for copy protection.

Also worth noting is that my co-worker (who also bought it) put the CD in his windows box and refused the DRM in the auto-run program, and it completely hosed his profile simply can't log in anoymore.

I thought they were trying to screw the people who were pirating the software, not those who actually bought it! ;)

proxy

Re:low tech way

[yuri benjamin]

Or use the [shift] key when you insert the disk. Or use another operating system that doesn't autorun the anti-copying software.

ripping to iPod works fine

[rfernand79]

Well, the fact that it did well on the charts has more to do with Slash and Duff McKagan together again, sans Axl Rose. As far as ripping, it works fine on a mac... no problems whatsoever. Oh! And the album is also available at the iTunes music store, so you have the option of buying it cheaper and not having to rip it anyway.

Re:How to get album onto iPod

[Redshift]

Actually it's even easier than that with OSX:

Step 1: Buy album

Step 2: Rip onto iPod as usual

Step 3: There is no Step 3

Copy protection only seems to work with Windows

[GreatDrok]

My wife bought a copy protected CD and wanted to copy it to MD but the MD recorder refused. Under Windows if you played it you got some crufty 48Khz WMA file, never the full 16 bit PCM. On my Mac however, I was able to rip the disc to iTunes as straight WAV and then burn her an unprotected version of the CD. She then used this to record her MD. I have yet to see a disc that the Mac can't copy.

Re:This is TRIVIAL to bypass

[keefey]

I've not found one yet that installs without saying anything. Normally it says "this CD needs to install an upgrade to function" (or something along those lines), with a cancel button. Pressing cancel stops the install.

Perhaps they've only done that on EU ones though. I'd be bloody livid if I found soemthing sneakily installed.

Re:This is TRIVIAL to bypass

[keefey]

Yup. It's sa if you pressed shift. It's basically a scam to get novice users to automatically react and press OK without questioning why the CD they have just lovingly bought should be any different to the others they have in their collections.

Silly users.

Re:Doesn't mean people are happy with it...

[lintux]

Well, here in Europe copy-protected CD's exist for a while already. Most of them are more advanced than an Autorun applet that fucks up the CD-ROM driver. (By the way, does this also break the driver when you insert the CD when logged in as something else than Administrator?)

Some of them are even slightly malicious; when you try to rip them, you get all kinds of ugly peaks and other distortions. When you play the result, it's possible that they break your audio equipment... And yeah, try to find the "Compact Disc" logo on those CD's, it isn't there. It's not a CD anymore, it just looks like one.

But so far, copy-protected CD's still exist. Fortunately, most decent CD shops do allow you to bring the CD back and get your money back, because more and more CD players fail to read the discs (players with MP3 support, for example). The sad thing is that not only the dull Britney Spears CD's are copy-protected, but also stuff like Radiohead and Placebo.

So well, let's hope the anger will come, it didn't really come here, unfortunately.

Not quite

[Anonymous Coward]

The working class has far more total wealth than the upper class just because there's so many more working class people. That money is mostly held as corporate shares, either through CDs at the bank (the bank re-invests that money) or mutual funds.

Google answer summary of wealth distribution in the US [google.com]

and a nice Pie chart distribution of wealth [fairfield.edu]

Re:Amazon $13.49 + Ship / iTunes $9.99

[nsayer]

Under the iTunes section you left out...

- Run it through hymn and dedrm and suddenly there are no more limitations at all.

But of course that would also require adding to the physical CD section...

- Careful use of either a sharpie or your PC's shift key and suddenly there are no more limitations at all.

And as long as we're categorizing plusses and minuses, you left out the CD booklet/liner notes as a plus for the physical version. I don't know if I'd suggest that it's worth $3.50 + shipping, but it is at least a + compared to the iTMS.

Re:How to use the Line In feature:

[tempfile]

By using the Microphone port, you could very well blow the microphone preamplifier on your sound card. Use the Line In jack instead.

Re:Maybe not

[cowbutt]

I believe there is a fair degree of truth to the old maxim "5% of the worlds population owns 95% of the wealth". You and I and the others here are not likely to be in that 5%.

Actually, if you live in the west, and work with computers, you probably are [channel4.com].

--

Re:WMA vs. AAC/MP3

[robosmurf]

Quoting from the page you link to:

"Protected WMA files cannot be converted.

So, no, you can't play them on an iPod.

Re:Doesn't mean people are happy with it...

[Anonymous Coward]

What a bizarre country! Are you seriously saying they *have* to let you cancel the sales contract unilaterally for no reason other than that you want to?

No. The reason for cancelling the sales contract is that the seller provided a disc that doesn't meet the redbook spec for CDs.

Re:How to use the Line In feature:

[itoledo]

Also, the microphone input is tipically mono sound (one channel only).

Re:Doesn't mean people are happy with it...

[technothrasher]

A store does not have to honor their sales. They can sell you a piece of shit and not accept it as a return

I'm amazed at the number of people that think this. It's simply not true. In most (all?) states you've got laws of fitness and merchantability which specifically address this. For Massachusetts, at least, See MGL - Chapter 106 [mass.gov], especially sections 2-314 & 2-315. Also note section 2-316: For consumer goods sales in particular, a store cannot even expressly exclude these warrenties.

Now realize that none of this means you can just waltz in to a store and return anything you want on a whim, but it does mean that a store can NOT simply sell you a peice of shit and walk away.

Simple solution

[Safety Cap]

Don't buy music from RIAA member companies.

Someone made it incredibly easy [magnetbox.com] for you to do this, too.

Re:How to use the Line In feature:

[glesga_kiss]

Not like you could tell the difference once it's converted to your preferred portable listening format.

Bollocks. A properly encoded mp3 using a VBR rate, such as the r3mix preset has been proven to be indistingishable from the original using blind tests on professional hi-fi equiptment.

On the other hand, an mp3 done at 128kbit is going to sound shit regardless of the source.

Of course, most morans listen to mp3 through their free speakers that they got with the PC, converted to analog using a crappy on-board sound chip. What do you expect? Get a card with a digital output, hook it up to a decent DAC and you are laughing. (the blind tests above were done by burning the mp3 to CD, same idea essentially)

Re:Doesn't mean people are happy with it...

[Anonymous Coward]

Perhaps you should read the return policy for some companies. For instance, Best Buy specifically states on their return policy that open media is not returnable and is only exchangable for the same title. Since their return policy is in plain view (A giant billboard on their wall), there's not too much you can argue for when you got to return it. The receipt is a contract between you and the seller, and if that receipt states a clear return policy, you have no leg to stand on when you try and fight it.

ripped fine on my box

[Cnik70]

using Grip.... no problems at all.

Re:Doesn't mean people are happy with it...

[Yewbert]

new Beastie Boys album.... I tried to rip it in CDex like I did with the Cat Empire CD, but I couldn't see any audio tracks - just data tracks - even after turning off Autoplay.

Have you tried ExactAudioCopy? Download it from www.exactaudiocopy.de and give it a try. Report back if you feel like it - I'd be curious to know if it works.

Actually, this one *IS* a standard CD.

[Otto]

You bougth something, expecting it to be a standard CD. (reasonable, given that the copy-protection is typically poorly marked, and the CDs stacked up on racks intermixed with the non-CDs) That is, you gave away money, reasonably expecting to get a CD for it that would play in any machine capable of playing CDs.

Well, in point of fact, these new Velvet Revolver CD's *ARE* standard CD's. They conform to the Blue Book Standard for hybrid CD Audio/Data discs. They'll play in any CD player, even that MP3-CD player.

The only copy protection here is a data track with some software and an autorun. Install the software, it fucks with your CD drivers when you try to rip. That's it. Hold SHIFT to bypass, or disable the autorun, or when the screen comes up that says "An upgrade is required", hit Cancel. Yes, you can actually *cancel* the installation on this sucker.

So as far as the record exec thinking that people approve of CD Protection mechanisms, maybe he means that people approve of easily disabled protection mechanisms. ;-)

or there's always digital optical I/O ...

[Willard B. Trophy]

CD player with digital signal output + iRiver H120 [iriver.com] = 44.1kHz WAV file on a USB2.0 portable HD.

Since you're using a purely audio CD player, the CD will work on it. Even fairly basic compact stereo systems have digital output.

"topping the chart' is a fraud anyway

[nurb432]

The RIAA 'buys' the song a place at the top of the chart, so it would be pretty easy to maniuplate which CD rises to the top, and choose a market that would have fewer people that would realize its copy protected.

Instant verification of their 'success' for marketing purposes to help usher in more copy restricted media..

wtf????

[i621148]

i am a huge gnr and also stp fan. i went to the concert here in kansas city and i liked it so much that i bought the cd last week... i am listening to it on my computer here at work after running it thru grip and streaming it from home... what kind of copy protection was on the cd? i haven't noticed any problems yet?

Re:Nope

[defile]

Small claims courts do not set legal precedent.

The worst case scenario would be that the judge rules in favor of the ripped off CD customer every time, but each ripped off CD customer has to go through the hassle of small claims court.