Why don't they name whose technology it is in the article?
Thx for posting it GCRox99,
~ii2
RE:
Stop at three
US record companies introduce a new technology that combats music piracy by limiting users to three burns per CD
By Shawn Woo , Straits Times
10 Jul 2005
TAKE heed, music lovers. The days of burning multiple copies of your favourite CD to give to all your friends may soon be over.
A new CD technology, known as 'sterile burning', has been developed to combat music piracy by limiting users to three burns per CD.
The technology was introduced in the United States early this year and may soon filter into Singapore.
Sony-BMG in the US has released at least 10 commercial titles using this software since March this year. EMI Music, meanwhile, will be releasing three to six albums with similar three-time burn limits this summer.
This software also prevents the songs from working on peer-to-peer networks like Kazaa, which contain songs in MP3 format. It also blocks attempts to make copies of the copy.
When a person tries to rip tracks and burn them onto to a blank CD, a Digital Rights Management (DRM) file embedded on the disc would prohibit the burning.
In Singapore, a spokesman for EMI said the label would be adopting the technology in the future.
He said: 'EMI plans to roll out this technology worldwide.'
Others are adopting a wait-and-see approach.
Mr Simon Nasser, 38, marketing manager of Warner Music Singapore, said: 'Warner Music will not be adopting this technology for now, because it is still very new and previous copy-controlled CDs were deemed too expensive to manufacture. We will only decide to bring these CDs into Singapore after observing how the CDs fare overseas.'
Sony-BMG in Singapore, however, declined to say if they would introduce the revolutionary CDs.
In Singapore, pirated sales totalled $7 million in 2002 alone, and the authorities have attempted a variety of means to combat the problem of illegal downloading.
Ms Liew Woon Yin, director-general of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore, said: 'Efforts range from public education programmes, to investing in new legitimate distribution channels, to business models that leverage on technology to meet the changing needs of today's consumers.'
Technology to circumvent copying is not new. Since 2000, music labels have introduced CDs with various copy prevention schemes. Most of these are playback restrictions that aim to make the CD unusable in devices that can also be conveniently used for duplicating (such as CD-ROM drives in computers), leaving only dedicated audio CD players for playback.
The EMI spokesman said: 'EMI already uses copy protected CDs in many markets, it has released more than 130 million discs with such technology to date.'
He added: 'In certain markets, we have taken action, via our industry bodies in the courts against individuals that are illegally acquiring our music. We have also taken action against individuals and companies that facilitate the distribution of illegal music and profit from it via the courts.'
Not surprisingly, many music lovers feel that these CDs unfairly attack innocent CD buyers.
Ms Bella Koh, 16, a student from Presbyterian High School, used to download music online. But she has gone back to buying CDs out of respect for artistes.
When asked about the new software, she said: 'Since I paid for the CD, it should be my right to use it as I please.'
Mr Tim Misir, 21, a music enthusiast studying at the National University of Singapore, agreed. 'Similar methods have been tried before but failed. Record companies should realise that fighting against their own customers will never get them more customers.'
Worse, there are fears that such methods might inadvertently drive legitimate CD buyers to illegal downloading.
The new CDs are currently not compatible with Apple iPods, which could deter hundreds of iPod users from buying them.
Sony-BMG and EMI are reportedly in talks with Apple to try to solve the problem.
How long the technology will keep the music pirates at bay remains to be seen.
Already, members of several Internet forums are suggesting possible methods of going around the software, showing that hardcore pirates are undeterred by sterile burning.
Some believe the technology does not go to the heart of the problem. Mr Misir said: 'CD lovers would pay for a quality album, but too many mediocre artistes release albums with only one or two good tracks, driving people to download those selected songs.'
http://it.asia1.com.sg/newsdaily/news001_20050711.html
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