RichMan used our news submit to tell us
that Macrovision is loosening it's restrictions in an effort to make copy
protected CD products more attractive.
 The
update attempts to simulate most of what people are doing with CDs on
their computers. Content owners such as record labels would be able to set
the "usage rules" on the Microsoft Windows Media files included on a
Macrovision-protected CD, allowing a specified numbers of CD burns and
transfers to portable devices, for example.
Macrovision hopes that its new
technology, called CDS-300, will make CD copy protection more palatable to
consumers who have grown used to the restrictions on music purchased from
online song stores.
"Before, you had the 'second session'
that was bolted to the disc," said Adam Sexton, Macrovision's vice
president of marketing. "We're pleased we can now deliver the same
functions and can go 'mano a mano' with the online services."
The copy-protection company's
previous software blocked people from making copies of CDs by rendering
the music files invisible to most computers. However, the protected CDs
also held additional versions of the songs in the Microsoft Windows Media
format, which could be played on PCs. This separate set of music files,
called a "second session," could not be transferred off the CD or put on
portable devices, however. |
Feeling the pressure from online services has
helped in the offering of this new capability. However, it is still not going to
be enough to satisfy many consumers. In this day and age we need to be able to
use our music purchases as we would like and take full advantage of the
technology available to us. Todays music fans will not tolerate these
limitations, we have enough to contend with without being irritated by getting
crossways with a protection scheme. Read the whole story here at C|Net.
Source: C|Net
