Copyproof No More

Strike another blow against copy-proof CDs. In Germany, a computer magazine called C’T and a software company called RapidSolution have released software that claims to outsmart copy protection wares. According to an article in the New Scientist, the software lets users make a swift, though relatively crude, conversion of a CD’s analog tracks into digital. The audio quality doesn’t sound so hot, but, hey, it works.

Companies including Macrovision and SunnComm have tried to copy protect CDs by preventing the discs from being played on a personal computer. But the results have been lackluster, if not embarrassing. Last fall, a Princeton PhD student discovered that he could circumvent SunnComm’s MediaMax CD3 technology simply by holding down his “shift” key while inserting the disc into his machine. Doh! SunnComm threatened to sue, and then wisely backed off. The German solution proves yet again the fallibility of these wares.