BMG to Test Copy-Protected CDs
The fight to Napster-proof audio CDs has entered the next round of development. Record industry giant BMG Entertainment is set to begin testing a technology which it hopes will thwart the illegal creation of compact discs. Partnering with SunnComm Incorporated, BMG will deploy its own in-house copyright protection measures along side SunComm's MediaC1_Q Digital Cloaking Technology. SunComm refused to disclose details on the inner-workings of the protection.
SunComm hopes that the exposure it has received from this partnership will lead to industry adoption of its own technology rather than its competitor's offerings. Thus far, no fool proof method of protecting copyrighted material on CDs has been found, and the music industry has gone to great length to block the exposure of flaws in existing copyright technologies.
According to SunnComm President Peter H. Jacobs, the companies "can inhibit illegal duplication of CDs while, at the same time, enhance the consumer experience." Today's press release goes on to say that customers will have drag and drop access to digital music, as well as experience additional features and enhancements – all within a secure environment.
Competing technologies such as Macrovision's SafeAudio, and Verance's content management solutions have the same goals in mind. In spite of its quest for secure music, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has been accused of blocking attempts to publish technical details that reveal how to circumvent current protection schemes.
In a very public clash, Princeton Professor Edward Felten and The Electronic Freedom Foundation sued the RIAA and other industry groups over alleged legal threats to Felten and his team of researchers. BMG and SunnComm's partnership represents an important step in the cat and mouse game to secure intellectual property rights.
Neither BMG nor SunnComm were available for comment at press time.