While the DRM software maker and provider SunnComm has been doing very well with 25 record labels using its DRM software, they are still determined to get another large record label to sign up. Now SunnComm has made a deal with Universal Music Group (UMG), the world's largest music company. However SunnComm's MediaMax technology is not the only anti-piracy technology under review by UMG. So far UMG did not return any call requesting a comment to what scale they will use SunnComm's product.
SunnComm's DRM has been used to protect 10 million CDs to date, double their figure from last August. While the company has actually been doing very well, their value however is under estimated by shareholders and even had their name placed on the Nasdaq list of companies failing to reach a certain share transaction rate within a fixed time period. GristyMcFisty used our news submit to let us know about the following news:
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SunnComm last week touted its new deal with Universal Music Group (UMG). The agreement, however, would carry a bit more weight, if announced in less apprehensive tone. "The world's largest music company may choose at some point to elect the use of [SunnComm's] MediaMax technology," SunnComm said. "SunnComm will receive a royalty from UMG should the company decide to use the technology. MediaMax is one of several technologies currently under review by UMG." That's hardly the ringing endorsement that some SunnComm watchers had been looking for. The company has been under pressure to sign up another large customer alongside BMG. UMG did not return numerous calls seeking comment about how extensively it planned to use the SunnComm software. SunnComm is best known, much to its dismay, for having an early version of its DRM software break when a Princeton University student held down his PC's Shift key while inserting a 'protected' music CD. The company threatened to sue the student for violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) but then backed down from this attack. Since that embarrassing episode, SunnComm has enjoyed a successful run. Its digital rights management software has been used by 25 record labels and is currently controlling 10m CDs out in the wild. |
As the majority of record labels are experimenting or using some sort of copy protection measures, it is likely going to a point where no matter which CD one chooses at a high street music store there will be some sort of locking measure in place.
One thing for sure is that no matter what sort of copy protection measure they place on CD, all it takes is one person to make a successful copy in MP3 for it to spread like a virus online. Even if it means one has to use an analogue rip (CD player -> PC line-in) to convert the track to MP3, the downloader would not know and if they get their copy in decent condition, that is all they care about. While SunnComm has bought DarkNoise back in early 2004 to block the analogue loop loophole, so far there is little update on this to date.
Even CD to CD copying is not as bad as the record companies think. For example while CD recorders and blank media were within almost any PC user's budget, album sales were back on the rise last year despite many albums not using any copy protection what so ever. If casual CD copying were a problem, album sales would have suffered back in the days of cassette recorders.
Feel free to discuss and find out more about copy protection on our Copy Protection Discussion Forum.
Source: The Register - Internet & Law
