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Sony Doing An End Run Around Its Own DRM
glassgnost writes "According to a story at CNN, Sony has an odd response to complaints from fans who have discovered they cannot import their CD content to an iPod. Individuals who complain to Sony BMG about iPod incompatibility are being directed to a Web site that provides information on how to work around the technology. In short, some labels appear to have been instructing customers how to defeat DRM -- which, IIRC, is a violation of DMCA." From the article: "For now, the copy-protected discs work only with software and devices compatible with Microsoft Windows Media technology. Apple -- the dominant player in digital music -- has resisted appeals from the labels to license its FairPlay DRM for use on the copy-protected discs. The DRM initiatives are generating complaints from fans, many of whom own iPods. The message boards of artist fan sites and online retailers are filled with complaints from angry consumers who did not realize they were buying a copy-protected title until they tried to create music files on their home computers."
Interestingly SonyBMG is blaming Apple for the lack of support.
I think this situation is bound to happen, when your right hand doesn't know what your left hand is doing.
The linked website does not provide information on how to work around the technology. It explains how to 'work with' the DRM software. This page on the website mentions the problem of playing their DRMed music on an iPod and directs you to this form that you are required to fill out to apparently be emailed instructions.
I told you so, but would you listen to me?
Oh, nooooooooo, DRM will never cause problems for consumers, just a little harmless DRM...
Time to bring in the Holy Hackgrenade, and blow the DRM into little pieces!
--LWM
Instead of circumventing the copy protections, I hope most are simply returning their cd. Obviously they only care about their bottom line and not the trouble they put their "consumers" through. It's the only way they might get the message.
This is it.
Thank you for contacting Sony BMG Online.
We appreciate your purchase of our CD and apologize for any inconvenience. Please follow the instructions below in order to move your content into iTunes and onto an iPod.
[Macintosh] If you have a Macintosh computer you can copy the songs using your iTunes Player as you would normally do.
[Windows] If you have a PC place the CD into your computer and allow the Sony BMG audio player on the CD to automatically start. If the player software does not automatically start, open your Windows Explorer. Locate and select the drive letter for your CD drive. On the disc you will find either a file named LaunchCD.exe or Autorun.exe. Double-click this file to manually start the player.
TIP: If your CD does not contain either the LaunchCD.exe or Autorun.exe files, it may not be compatible with this iPod solution. Please reply to this letter for more information.
Once the Sony BMG player application has been launched and the End User License Agreement has been accepted, you can click the Copy Songs button on the top menu.
Follow the instructions to copy the secure Windows Media Files (WMA) to your PC. Make a note of where you are copying the songs to, you will need to get to these secure Windows Media Files in the next steps.
Once the WMA files are on your PC you can open and listen to the songs with Windows Media Player 9.0 or higher (or another fully compatible player that can playback secure WMA files, such as MusicMatch, RealPlayer, and Winamp). You can then burn the songs to a standard Audio CD. Please note that in order to burn the files, you will need to upgrade to, or already have, Windows Media Player 9 or 10.
Once the standard Audio CD has been created, place this copied CD back into your computer and open iTunes. iTunes can now rip the songs as you would any normal audio CD.
Please note an easier and more acceptable solution requires cooperation from Apple, who we have already reached out to in hopes of addressing this issue. To help speed this effort, we ask that you use the following link to contact Apple and ask them to provide a solution that would easily allow you to move content from protected CDs into iTunes or onto your iPod rather than having to go through the additional steps above:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipod.html
Thank you for the opportunity to be of assistance.
The Sony BMG Online Support Team
CCKM
This message and any attachments are solely for the use of intended recipients. They may contain privileged and/or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you received this email in error, and that any review, dissemination, distribution or copying of this email and any attachment is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error please contact the sender and delete the message and any attachments associated therewith from your computer. Your cooperation in this matter is appreciated.
Oops.
Yep, I recognised the symbol and used my coldplay album. They sent the directions instantly. The album doesn't say it's Sony though so I don't think it matters. I think the only real info you need is the email so they can you the directions. Excerpt. "Thank you for contacting Sony BMG Online.
We appreciate your purchase of our CD and apologize for any inconvenience. Please follow the instructions below in order to move your content into iTunes and onto an iPod.
If you have a PC place the CD into your computer and allow the Sony BMG audio player on the CD to automatically start. If the player software does not automatically start, open your Windows Explorer. Locate and select the drive letter for your CD drive. On the disc you will find either a file named LaunchCD.exe or Autorun.exe. Double-click this file to manually start the player.
TIP: If your CD does not contain either the LaunchCD.exe or
Autorun.exe files, it may not be compatible with this iPod
solution. Please reply to this letter for more information.
Once the Sony BMG player application has been launched and the End User License Agreement has been accepted, you can click the Copy Songs button on the top menu.
Follow the instructions to copy the secure Windows Media Files (WMA) to your PC. Make a note of where you are copying the songs to, you will need to get to these secure Windows Media Files in the next steps.
Once the WMA files are on your PC you can open and listen to the songs with Windows Media Player 9.0 or higher (or another fully compatible player that can playback secure WMA files, such as MusicMatch, RealPlayer, and Winamp). You can then burn the songs to a standard Audio CD. Please note that in order to burn the files, you will need to upgrade to, or already have, Windows Media Player 9 or 10.
Once the standard Audio CD has been created, place this copied CD back into your computer and open iTunes. iTunes can now rip the songs as you would any normal audio CD.
Please note an easier and more acceptable solution requires cooperation from Apple, who we have already reached out to in hopes of addressing this issue. To help speed this effort, we ask that you use the following link to contact Apple and ask them to provide a solution that would easily allow you to move content from protected CDs into iTunes or onto your iPod rather than having to go through the additional steps above:
Quoth the article: The DRM initiatives are generating complaints from fans, many of whom own iPods. The message boards of artist fan sites and online retailers are filled with complaints from angry consumers who did not realize they were buying a copy-protected title until they tried to create music files on their home computers.
Enter the DMCRA, which, in addition to guaranteeing the right to circumvent copy prevention systems for the purposes of making non-infringing use of a work, also mandates that when companies put copy prevention on a CD, they also add an adequate warning to the case indicating that the CD may not work in all players.
I didn't think that the DMCRA would actually get attention because of the warning label provision, mainly because I'm more interested on the circumvention for non-infringing use provision, but perhaps the warning label provision is the way to get music consumers interested in getting the DMCRA passed.
the internet is disruptive technology
we don't NEED music conglomerates
teenagers pick up guitars to impress chicks, not to become millionaires
if in the future artisits don't become millionaires, do you really think people will stop making music? as if fame and women aren't incentive enough?
and even then, in the future, bands will make their money the old fashion way: touring, stage appearances, and the ticketing that comes with that
and the bootlegs, videos, of that appearance will be free, as well as their entire catalog
so sell your stock in sony, and buy some ticketmaster stock
because the internet has made the media cheap
but there is still only one artist, and in meatspace, as opposed to cyberspace, the artist is a rare commodity, so you can still sell tickets
who loses in this future world?
nothing but the music distrubutors
the fans, and the artists, win
bye bye, dinosaurs
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
So, they are trying to convince me that the reason THEY are DRM-ing their CD's is because of Apple? Im sorry, but who do they expect will be convinced by this? We're not talking about Momma and Poppa Joe here who will be complining- this will be educated individuals from the internet generation. These people will easily be able to see right through this decieteful childsplay. This is a foolish act by Sony that makes them sound like even more of faceless evil megacorporation than they already do.
The method is actually:
Step 1: return the cd for your money.
Step 2: download the mp3 with p2p.
Note: Step 1 may be omitted in the future.
Fairplay doesn't have the capability to expire songs once you stop paying for the subscription. WMA's Janus extension is required for this functionality, which has the player check that you are supposed to have access to those songs each time you plug it into your computer, and expires songs after a month if you don't let it verify. While this nasty little system works, it introduces requirements that some may find objectionable. Simply licensing Fairplay isn't going to get you access to subscription-based content. Basically, if you want subscription content on the iPod, you're SOL, but you should have known that when you bought it.
What's more interesting here is that Apple is turning down a potential revenue source (licensing Fairplay to CD distributors) for no other reason than what appears to be the belief that they have enough control over the digital music market to influence the direction of CD distribution as well. It seems they are making a stand to make copy-protected CDs impractical, hoping that distributors will instead keep producing standard CDs. Personally, I am very happy they are doing this, as copy-protected CDs are an incredibly stupid idea that only serves to inconvenience paying customers. I don't buy music from the big labels anymore, so I've never encountered copy protection, but you can be sure I would demand a refund if I was unable to use my purchased CDs as I see fit (within the confines of copyrights). Having Fairplay copies of the music on the CD as well wouldn't alleviate this problem, as I want to rip my CDs to MP3 format, in the bitrate of my choosing. In this case, Sony is clearly wrong, and they need to go back to making standard CDs if they want to sell to iPod users.
"I like systems, their application excepted", George Sand (French)
Even simplier:
1. Disable autoplay in Windows, or simply hold down the shift key while inserting the CD into the computer. This prevents Windows from auto-installing that DRM crap.
2. Rip the CD in whatever audio program you want (Audiograbber, iTunes, Winamp, WMP, whatever).
Fair use is not a right. Fair use is an excuse (a legally acceptable one) to do things that are outside your rights. When you invoke fair use, you automatically admit that the infringement did occur (but you can't be punished for it). If you can get around stuff and fairly use it, more power to you. But nobody's helping you with fair use.