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CD copy protection?

waxjunkywaxjunky 1,849 Posts
edited February 2008 in Strut Central
Is there any way to protect home-burned CDs from duplication? I'm not a Facist, I was just wondering.

  Comments

  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,903 Posts
    no
  • billbradleybillbradley You want BBQ sauce? Get the fuck out of my house. 2,906 Posts
    Anything can be copied. I like how Nero Burning ROM pops up a warning and says "This CD is Copy Protected", then copies it anyway.
  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,903 Posts
    Wait. I was wrong. There is one way. Don't give the CD to anyone. But beyond that, there is no way.

    It's the main reason why DRM for music is a lost cause. And majors are now coming to terms with it.
  • Controller_7Controller_7 4,052 Posts
    I've stopped recording music and instead will hum songs for fans at the rate of .99 cents per song. Unless they can accurately hum it the same way I did, they have to call me up again and pay the .99 cents again. They may try to hum it for a friend, but most often they get the "that's a reissue" and a gas face.
  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,903 Posts
    Do you take paypal?
  • kwalitykwality 620 Posts
    I've heard of review copies being tagged with "This is an exclusive promo copy for *insert name here*" or else sometimes they'll alter the files slightly, so that when they're eventually leaked they can just view the waveform and see who leaked it.

    But DRM is a minefield - Sony got caught basically installing viruses on people machines so even they gave up. I don't think DRM on essentially digital files will ever work.
  • BrianBrian 7,618 Posts
    I've heard of review copies being tagged with "This is an exclusive promo copy for *insert name here*" or else sometimes they'll alter the files slightly, so that when they're eventually leaked they can just view the waveform and see who leaked it.
    some version of this is probably the best way to prevent review leaks but they still happen anyway. beyond that, once the cd hits retail, there's virtually nothing that can be done
  • johmbolayajohmbolaya 4,472 Posts
    Not really. Even those that do have copy protection can be undone. Even if someone can't do it with the "press alt" technique, they can do an analog transfer and eliminate the need to get that technical.

    I know Atmosphere are having a few listening parties that are open to journalists (I had been invited, but I'm also 3000 miles away), or if you can't make it, they're actually allowing writers to listen to an iPod in a room and, well, listen.

    If it's on some kind of disc, someone has already found a way to extract from it.
  • FlomotionFlomotion 2,391 Posts
    Is there any way to protect home-burned CDs from duplication? I'm not a Facist, I was just wondering.

    No. A lot of CDs I get sent have unique digital ID so that if they get copied the label/PR can trace whose CD was used to copy from. Doesn't protect them from being duplicated, obviously, just makes it potentially easier to identify the source. Endless ways to get round it though.
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