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Beastie Boys' New Album Silently Installs DRM Code
nfsilkey writes "After more than five years, the Beastie Boys have released a new album. It seems that the retail disc is bundled with a copy protection autoinstaller which silently silently puts itself onto the listener's computer. Many listeners are up in arms and some are venting their frustrations on the band's website."
I bought "To The 5 Boroughs" (cause I'm representin' Manhattan), and ripped all the tracks to my iPod with no problems. Just what does the DRM code do?
I'm on a Mac, is this another case where I'm missing out on the DRM fun because of platform neglect? (There IS a Mac partition on the disc, but all it seems to have on it is a Macromedia presentation with a QuickTime movie.)
When one goes in-depth into the "end user license agreement" that we all say "I agree" to, it becomes apparent that you actually do warrant them to install such an application. I'd imagine it would be part of the liner notes, interactive software related agreement, or perhaps even just a simple "look on this site to see the license agreement" blurb.
They did have their own damn label with their own damn distribution channels. It was called Grand Royale.
It failed miserable and went bankrupt owing a lot of money to a lot of people.
As for contracts -- these generally follow individual members of bands as well as the band entity as itself.
To quote from_ disc_ha.html
http://www.boingboing.net/2004/06/11/new_beasties
This is one of the reasons to disable autorunning of CDs. It's nice yes, but really, it's not a big deal to take the extra step to go to the CD and run setp. Since this sort of game of actually installing software without asking seems to be getting popular, it's a good rpeventitive step.
c es\Cdrom and set the Autorun value to 0. You cal also download TweakUI from Microsoft (go to Microsoft.com and search for TweakUI) which will change the key for you, as well as altering other behaviour.
To shut it off, open your registry editor and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servi
When you do this, Windows will no longer popup and do anything when you put a disk in. Instead, it will wait for you to do something. For normal data disks, this means you'll have to go run setup yourself. For evil audio disks such as this, they'll simply never install their BS and you can play as normal.
Illegal in the US, you mean?
One of the comments in the cited links says that the copy protection is only for discs sold outside the US and UK.
There are two kinds of people: 1) those who start arrays with one and 1) those who start them with zero.
Two words...
Spy-Ware
That said, if it's a stardard EXE I don't see how it would run on linux. :D And since Linux doesn't have an autorun annoyance... I mean feature, we'd have to consciously install it.
Once again, the solution is... Don't use M$ Windows. (Sorry Mac people, I have had no recent experience with a Mac to make a comment on it.
DarkMantle I been bored, so I started a blog.
And even if you do get round the protection, the burner software may check for "Proper Licensing" anyway. I know MusicMatch does.
The simple truth is that interstellar distances will not fit into the human imagination
- Douglas Adams
I believe it works by the cd auto run feature in windows. Which I have long since disabled. Why anyone would let cds automatically run and install stuff in this day an age is beyond me.
Download TweakUI from the MS Power Toys section, it will let you change a slew of settings. Including disabling autorun.
I'm also pretty sure that holding shift when you put the cd in will do the same thing.
Bugs are just features that have been fixed.
That's different. There's Autoplay and Autorun.
Autoplay (which you are talking about) just tells Windows what to do when you insert a disc containing certain types of content (images, audio, etc.). It won't start an installer or do anything bad. It can be configured or turned off when inserting one of these discs or through the properties for the drive. It can also be setup separately for removable media (such as USB drives and cameras).
Autorun can be used to launch any program/command, and can be used to start installers on the CD or programs on your computer, which is why most commercial software and games will pop up a window with options when you insert the disc. Leaving this on will leave you at the mercy of the people who made the CD. It can be turned off like the GP poster explained, or temporarily disabled by holding SHIFT when inserting the disc.
Autoplay is actually kind of cool, but unfortunately it requires Autorun being enabled. I can live without it though.
Wow - I'm *really* not going to be buying any more CDs anytime soon, then. Way to go EMI, gutting your own business and all!
These days, the recording companies seem to have a special system in place to trade sample rights. The liner notes often say something like "sample licensed through so-and-so recording company special products division". I'm sure that if DRM was somehow preventing their sampling (although they would probably work around this by holding down the shift key like anyone else), they could arrange to get an official sample straight from the source.
The ironic thing is that the Beastie Boys' early days, before court rulings that forced people to pay up, they did massive sampling without attributing the sources. I have their "Paul's Boutique" album from 1989 (A pretty good CD, IMO). I've seen a blurb somewhere that said that an album like this couldn't be made today, given that each track contains at least 2 or 3 recognizable samples. In fact, I'd say that the samples are so prominent, they are the main "musical instrument" on the record. Many of these weren't obscure samples either; I recognized some of the main "hooks" out of several top-40 hits. There are zero credits in the liner notes mentioning any of these samples.
Compare this to The Verve, who tried to get away with only a slightly worse sample ripoff a decade later, and got their asses handed to them on a platter by the Rolling Stones' lawyers.
New Audio CD DRM Defeated by Use of ''SHIFT'' Key
Google search that found above link, good read.
http://www.fsckin.com/
It's probably Ian Rogers, the webmaster for the Beastie Boys' web site for a very long time - starting in 1994. I worked with Ian a bit when I was running the original Foo Fighters site, he's actually a really nice guy (Foo Fighters and Beastie Boys used to share the same management, Gold Mountain Entertainment, now GAS or something like that).
With how the industry works, I'm sure he had absolutely nothing to do with this, but instead it was label decision as has already been pointed out. It's another perfect example of how disconnected the music industry is from its fans (at least those in non-english speaking countries - the software doesn't exist on the US or UK releases).
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. -- Gandhi
There is no autorun similar to the Windows variant that automatically starts an exe up. There is only 'autorun' for Audio CD's, DVD's and camera's, etc, media that cannot do any damage to the machine.
A 'Blue Moon' is the second full moon in the same callendar month, IIRC every 12 to 13 months.
Just some odd trivia I thought I'd throw out. Was going to try for funny, but can't think of a way to make it funny. Oh well.
Mycroft
https://signup.leagueoflegends.com/?ref=4c3ed6600b6ea
TCPA is actually now TCG, Trusted Computing Group, and doesn't have anything to do with DRM. It's essentially a standards body that specifies compliance for hardware security modules, or TPMs (Trusted Platform Modules), which also don't have to have anything to do with DRM. For example, IBM makes desktop and laptop computers with TCG compliant TPMs on the systemboard which exist for the sole purpose of providing security for your data, not ensuring that you install only "trusted" software or don't violate this copyright or whatever, and cannot, in fact, be used for that function.
A refusal to buy anything TCPA (which is actually TCG) is pointless. You're boycotting the wrong thing.
Buy the President
I've bought two albums with EMI's copy protection... I couldn't tell the difference from a normal CD. I played normally, and was able to rip all the tracks into iTunes.
If it did install something, it was done in some extremely sneaky fashion. I didn't notice it installing anything, and it would have somehow got around the fact that I was an unprivileged user.
Having your computer be that much of a hassle is not my definition of easy. Not to mention that XP and win2k systems still seem to lockup or blue screen quite regularly despite the much touted "stability improvements"...
Sorry, but I haven't seen the BSOD in two years - and this is counting my computers at home and 16 at work, all running Windows XP. Please feel free to comment about Windows security issues, and the amount of resources XP gobbles up, and Microsoft's secret plan to take over the world, but the OS itself is very stable and does what it's supposed to do.
144l. ph34r my 133t l3g4l 5k1lz!
So that's why most MacOS X users will not have their machines infected--they aren't running Classic at the time they insert the CD.
Doug Moen.
I have written a truly remarkable program which this sig is too small to contain.
There is no autorun feature under Mac OS X 10.3 and I'm pretty sure it wasn't in 10.2 either. There is an autorun in Mac OS 9 and I believe there was one in versions of Mac OS X previous to 10.2
The only thing in Mac OS X which is similar to autorun is that you can set certain actions to happen when you put a CD or DVD in the drive. The default is for a blank CD or DVD to ask you what to do, for a music CD to open iTunes, a photo CD to open iPhoto and a video DVD to open DVD Player. All other CDs or DVDs will be just be mounted in the Finder if they contain a filesystem readable by Mac OS X.
None of these default actions will cause anything else to be run or anything to be installed on your computer. If you want you can change the default actions to run another application, to run a script, or to be ignored.
Sapere aude!
Nor with the SHIFT key held down on Windows?
also works pretty well for those cd's that have been floating around your car for a while.
If you are one in a million, then there are six thousand people who are just like you.
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes
CRIMES AND OFFENSES (TITLE 18)
CHAPTER 39. THEFT AND RELATED OFFENSES
3933. Unlawful use of computer.
(a) Offense defined.--A person commits the offense of unlawful use of a computer if he, whether in person, electronically or through the intentional distribution of a computer virus:
1. accesses, exceeds authorization to access, alters, damages or destroys any computer, computer system, computer network, computer software, computer program or data base or any part thereof, with the intent: to interrupt the normal functioning of an organization or to devise or execute any scheme or artifice to defraud or deceive or control property or services by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations or promises;
2. intentionally and without authorization accesses, alters, interferes with the operation of, damages or destroys any computer, computer system, computer network, computer software, computer program or computer data base or any part thereof;
3. intentionally or knowingly and without authorization gives or publishes a password, identifying code, personal identification number or other confidential information about a computer, computer system, computer network or data base.
4. intentionally or knowingly engages in a scheme or artifice, including, but not limited to, a denial of service attack, upon any computer, computer system, computer network, computer software, computer program, computer server or data base or any part thereof that is designed to block, impede or deny the access of information or initiation or completion of any sale or transaction by users of that computer, computer system, computer network, computer software, computer program, computer server or data base or any part thereof.
(b) Grading.--An offense under subsection (a)(1) is a felony of the third degree. An offense under subsection (a)(2), (3) or (4) is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(c) Definitions.--As used in this section the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection:
"Access." To intercept, instruct, communicate with, store data in, retrieve data from or otherwise make use of any resources of a computer, computer system, computer network or data base.
"Computer." An electronic, magnetic, optical, hydraulic, organic or other high speed data processing device or system which performs logic, arithmetic or memory functions and includes all input, output, processing, storage, software or communication facilities which are connected or related to the device in a system or network.
"Computer network." The interconnection of two or more computers through the usage of satellite, microwave, line or other communication medium.
"Computer program." An ordered set of instructions or statements and related data that, when automatically executed in actual or modified form in a computer system, causes it to perform specified functions.
"Computer software." A set of computer programs, procedures and associated documentation concerned with the operation of a computer system.
"Computer system." A set of related, connected or unconnected computer equipment, devices and software.
"Computer virus." A computer program copied to or installed on a computer, computer network, computer program, computer software or computer system without the informed consent of the owner of the computer, computer network, computer program, computer software or computer system that may replicate itself and that causes unauthorized activities within or by the computer, computer network, computer program, computer software or computer system.
"Data base." A representation of information, knowledge, facts, concepts or instructions which are being prepared or processed or have been prepared or processed in a formalized manner and are intended for use in a computer
Not having made the correlation between the two events, she tried to play the disc some days later. The boot drive was trashed again. There is something severely wrong with this model. When code designed to thwart legitimate use causes loss of user data and much time restoring the computer and the code wasn't even written for the box in question, the labels really are shooting themselves in the foot.
I haven't bought a commercial CD since. Yes, I know a one-person boycott won't kill the industry but I used to buy ~100 discs per year.
Once again, the solution is... Don't use M$ Windows. (Sorry Mac people, I have had no recent experience with a Mac to make a comment on it.
No, actually, the solution is to disable AutoStart. It's easy to do. And it's easier than switching operating systems (at least for most people.)
Maybe instead of blaming Microsoft at every chance that pops up, users could try to be more constructive and try to resolve the issues at hand through less invasive, arrogant, annoying, or sometimes just plain stupid means.
"Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"
Moderation Totals: Wrong=2, Stupid=3, Total=5.
The 'autorun' he was talking about is not a true autorun like the one on Windows. What the 'autorun' under Mac OS X does is tell the proper application (iTunes by default for an audio CD) to run. The default applications are pretty safe and they normally don't allow anything new to be installed automatically.
For example, when an audio CD is put in a Mac OS X machine it defaults to running iTunes. iTunes by default simply shows the music that is on the disk. Nothing else is run, nothing is installed. It is safe.
Now, if the user then goes on to run any old applications that happen to be on the data portion of the CD well then that's the user's dumbass fault if something evil gets installed!
Sapere aude!
Any Beastie-Boy-fan lawyers reading who agree? The sentence could be up to five years in jail
Matthew @ Bytemark Hosting
"Not that its exactly hard to disable the 'autorun annoyance'"
It used to be easy to do this in Windows, but the control to do this seems to be missing. It is true you can hold the shift key down, but if there is a way to disable autorun altogether anymore it is pretty well hidden. Fuck Windows, anyhow.
Well in answer to my own question, to disable the autorun in Win2k ya gotta edit the registry, which is pretty much what I thought you'd have to do. So Joe Sixpack probably won't be doing it so easily. I would say that yes, it is hard. It woudl especially be hard if you did not know how to look for information on disabling the feature, which would require that you knew it was called "autorun," know to search the microsoft knowlege base, and know how to use the registry editor without killing your machine.
I'm really starting to get irritated with this nonsense. disabling autorun on XP its embarrassingly simple to do, and claiming that it requires a registry hack just shows that your knowledge of windows doesn't even extend to the most absolute basics - so what the hell are you doing making claims about it's functionality when you don't even know how to use it?
i ces\CDRom]
TO DISABLE CD AUTORUN IN WINDOWS XP
1. Double click on "My Computer", or go start>my computer
2. Locate your CD or DVD drive in the "My Computer" window, and right-click on it
3. From the popup menu click "properties"
4. In the drive properties window that appears, go to the autoplay options, and select "take no action"
OR
The policy method (XP Pro only)
This involves changing your computer's policy to disallow autorunning of inserted media (Again, a very basic aspect of windows)
[1] Start/Run/GPEDIT.MSC
[2] Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/System.
[3] Locate the entry for Turn Off Autoplay and modify.
And just for the sake of completeness, bere's the registry tweak, too (which again, is certainly not any kind of "deep magic", though is probably more advanced than your granny would be comfortable with, at least you don't have to compile anything)
Start, run... "regedit"
System Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Serv
Value Name: Autorun
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (0=disable, 1=enable)
Or you can download any of the ten zillion tweaking utilities for windows? how come, btw, when a tweaking utility for Linux is released, it's a cool added bit of functionality that makes Linux even more kickass than it already was... but when a tweaking utility is released for windows it's a kludgy fix to add functionality that obviously SHOULD've been there in the first place?
Oh well.
Curiosity was framed. Ignorance killed the cat.
Alternately, you could download and install TweakUI for whatever version of Windows you're running and disable autorun from there. It's safer than going directly into the registry, and easy enough that even a common joe can do it.
!#@%*)anks for hanging up the phone, dear.
here is a link to the forum thread explaining that the copy protection is on all emi cds, except us and uk versions, and that the beastie boys would have liked it not to be protected but couldn't help.
Actually, there are two definitions of "blue moon", and only one of them is particularly rare. The second full moon of the month happens every 32 months, but the second defenition refers to an atmospheric phenomena where the moon actually appears to be blue, usually due to particles in the air or smoke.
It's been a long time.