Some more technical information is available on the copy protection that has recently been announced by Microsoft. The technology seems to be mainly based on Digital Rights Management which is a system that encrypts digital media content and limits access to only those people who have acquired a proper license to play the content.
Another feature seems to be adding a second session to a CD. Standalone CD players are only able to read out one session, while CD/DVD-ROM/CD-RW drives are multi session. This method is currently also used by other audio copy protections.
For music lovers accustomed to unfettered use of CDs, the technology could mean a big adjustment. Microsoft's software is designed to be used with software from other companies such as SunnComm Inc. that prevents songs on conventional music CDs, known as "red book" audio, from being copied onto a PC, while allowing them to be played in ordinary home and car stereos. The Microsoft software will let recording companies add a second batch of songs and other digital files to CDs, called a "second session," that PC users will be permitted to copy to their machines. |
Those second-session songs, however, can be programmed with a variety of limitations, including blocks that prevent recording onto CDs or sharing over Internet file-swapping services. Using the Microsoft software, music companies can permit users to e-mail songs to friends, but only with degraded sound quality or expiration dates that make the songs unplayable after a certain date.
Companies like SunComm and Midbar/Macrovision have already announced it will use technology provided by Microsoft.
If you would like more technical information on audio copyprotections and ways to bypass them e.g. to make a backup, then you can visit our Audio Forum.
Source: Yahoo.com
