Sticky Tape Defeats Sony DRM Copy Protection

cybrpnk2 writes "As reported by InformationWeek, Sony BMG Music's controversial copy-protection scheme can be defeated with a small piece of tape. According to thinktank Gartner analysts Martin Reynolds and Mike McGuire, Sony's XCP technology is stymied by sticking a fingernail-size piece of opaque tape on the outer edge of the CD. 'After more than five years of trying, the recording industry has not yet demonstrated a workable DRM scheme for music CDs. Gartner believes that it will never achieve this goal as long as CDs must be playable by stand-alone CD players.'"

Comments

Does this violate the terms of the DMCA?

[CyricZ]

Does using tape in such a fashion violate the terms of the DMCA? If so, could the tape manufacturers be held responsible for making a product that potentially aides in piracy?

Re:Does this violate the terms of the DMCA?

[curteck]

As long as you don't hold down the shift key while you're doing it, I think you're ok.

Re:Does this violate the terms of the DMCA?

[omeomi]

Apparently the USCO has some older, less silent, black helicopters...

And they always said

[Zegnar]

And they always said that home taping would kill the music industry...

In other news...

[GweeDo]

Sony/BMG sued 3M Corporation today for their new technology called "tape" to circumvent their copy protection and encryption schemes. They will be tried under the DMCA, news at at 11!

When office supplies are outlawed

[gelfling]

Only outlaws will have office supplies.

Re:When office supplies are outlawed

[NotQuiteReal]

You can have my red stapler, when you pry it from my soft, geeky fingers.

Restricted Technology

[scovetta]

Illegal technology, outlawed by DMCA:
  * Sticky Tape
  * Magic Markers
  * Shift Keys

When will these companies learn? 3M, Sharpie, and Dell-- stop trying to get me to break the law!!!

Re:It's sticky tape now, huh?

[Enzo the Baker]

No no no. Running a green marker around the edge of your CD is for making it sound better.

Re:Easier way

[digitaldc]

....if you go to far in, you can just rub little bits until you get it just right."

How do you know my girlfriend?

I GOT A DIFFERENT APPROACH

[Spy der Mann]

WHICH IS STICKING THE TAPE TO MY SHIft key oh darn it got loose again....

Re:Freedom cannot be defeated!

[kfg]

" ". . .it will never achieve this goal as long as CDs must be playable by stand-alone CD players.'" "

Well, obviously all they need to do is put a stop to this sort of nonsense.

KFG

Re:It's sticky tape now, huh?

[__aajfby9338]

I know a guy who insists that degaussing his CDs (i.e., with a magnetic tape eraser) makes them sound better. I $#!^ you not!! I tried to be reasonable and explain how many ways that is wrong, but he insisted that I just have a tin ear. Well, I guess I better go turn in my Master's degree in electrical engineering, because it's no match to his Golden Ear.

As if that wasn't absurd enough, he later told me how he breaks in his AC power cords by running a current through them before using them on his stereo, because otherwise the sound is too, well, I don't even remember what adjective he used. Yellow? Impudent? Octagonal? Whatever. He said that a new electrical outlet takes even longer to break in. OMFGBBQ! I'm ashamed to say that at that point I completely lost the ability to debate rationally with him and try to educate him, and told him what an idiot he is. Well, at least he doesn't bother to ask me any electronics-related questions any more.

Sometimes I find myself thinking that I should invent some electrical snake oil to liberate audiophools from their excess money, but I just don't want to sink that low.

in other news..

[tomcres]

Sony VAIOs will now ship without shift keys...