Child Proof?

John Halderman, a Princeton University researcher, has recently released a paper that completely blows the lid off of MediaMax CD copyright protection that is being executed on several upcoming releases. In this paper he proceeds to purchase a copyright protected CD and within a few keystrokes gains access to the music files, completely bypassing the anti-copy software, and can go about burning copies or ripping the media to his hard drive. Please examine the paper in it's entirety HERE

Again, and let me make this clear, I do not support illegal copying of digital media and certainly want every artist to gain from their own work without being short changed. I am simply in the same boat as Mr. Halderman and many others who see these anti-copy tactics as a futile attempt at preventing piracy and will only escalate the problem to greater proportions. To quote Halderman from his own paper:

“...the industry has the best chance of accomplishing its goals by giving customers more for their money and making it easier for them to buy music. I believe anti-copy CD technologies will prove unfruitful, and will therefore eventually be abandoned by record companies. Their firms may take a cue from the movie industry and increase the value of CDs by bundling interesting bonus features rather than restrictive copy-control software. It seems likely that they will also capitalize on the popularity of digital distribution by aggressively supporting online services like Apple's successful iTunes Music Store. These strategies likely will pave the way to reduced infringement by enticing more listeners to pay for recordings.”

Attempting the Orwellian approach by causing digital prohibition is not the solution and I will firmly stand by my own words and Mr. Halderman's. My job as the editor of PhreshWater.com also includes my own personal commitment to encouraging the proper growth and support of the music industry, whether independent or corporate structured, and to slit my own throat by supporting illegal peer-to-peer networks and piracy would be the highest dishonor to my own lifeblood which is music itself. But, these types of anti-copy deterrents are going to backfire and make an already bad situation far worse than imagined.

S. Remington – Editor
PhreshWater.com
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