MP3 getting antipiracy makeover

[SM-Bot]

The venerable MP3 music format, the technology most widely associated with unrestricted file swapping, is getting a makeover aimed at blocking unauthorized copying.

Thomson and Fraunhofer, the companies that license and own the patents behind the MP3 digital music technology, are in the midst of creating a new digital rights management add-on for the popular format, a Thomson executive said Tuesday.
The full report

[a2jfreak]

I'm not opposed entirely to the DRM movement, but I am opposed to certain parts of it. Namely the fact that most DRM wants to prohibit my ability to make backup copies or even the possibility of viewing certain material/content on my computer.

I understand the gripes about copyright and ownership, but if I purchase a CD or a DVD I believe that I should have the rights afforded me under the law, and one of those rights is my ability to make a working backup/copy. I also believe that I should be able to play my CD or view my DVD on my computer, or even be able to allow friends/family to borrow such items. Oh well.

[TheBaron]

i'm pretty sure that it's been well established in court that it is entirely legal to make back-ups of CDs. the same, however, does not apply to DVDs (apparently). it seems to me this new digital rights management thing could mean a large-scale switch AWAY from mp3's as people try to find a more friendly format

[drasnor]

i'm pretty sure that it's been well established in court that it is entirely legal to make back-ups of CDs. the same, however, does not apply to DVDs (apparently). it seems to me this new digital rights management thing could mean a large-scale switch AWAY from mp3's as people try to find a more friendly format
.ogg
.flac

-drasnor :fold:

[MJO]

i'm pretty sure that it's been well established in court that it is entirely legal to make back-ups of CDs. the same, however, does not apply to DVDs (apparently). it seems to me this new digital rights management thing could mean a large-scale switch AWAY from mp3's as people try to find a more friendly format

Hmm not here in Denmark, if it has an "effective copy protection" you are not allowed to do anything.
DVD Movie's are a definate no-no, you can't do anything legally.

Whether or not you can call a copy protection effective when it can be "cracked" using a marker or simple software, is another question.
I stumbled upon a protected cd not too long ago, I decided to see how fast I could "crack" it.
Five minutes later I had downloaded a program and the ripping was well underway.
CloneCD does a good job as well.

[EMT]

Yeah... <3 ogg.

Anyway, if it's just an option, who with the intention of sharing will turn it on?

[Gobd]

I don't really think .ogg is the next major step that people will use, i think .aac is much more likely with huge companies like apple backing it. iTunes sells music in the .aac format and the quality of .acc is very good in tests and it comes out over MP3. iTunes is the best aac encoder now with the nero one in a fairly close second.

[drasnor]

I don't really think .ogg is the next major step that people will use, i think .aac is much more likely with huge companies like apple backing it. iTunes sells music in the .aac format and the quality of .acc is very good in tests and it comes out over MP3. iTunes is the best aac encoder now with the nero one in a fairly close second.

.AAC has digital rights management, so it cannot be the future free medium.

-drasnor :fold:

[ginipig]

yeah, ogg or flac. Personally, I love my mpcs.

[KingFish]

I don't see mp3's in their current incarnation going away anytime soon. The format has too much of a foothold. It will only be a matter of time before someone writes a program to convert whatever new format that comes out to the most popular least common denominator: the mp3. The companies may throw out speed bumps that will throw some uninformed users with these new schemes/formats but in the end they have already lost the music format battle. They just haven't realized it yet. They remind me of a person marooned in the desert clinging to their last drop of water not believing their fate was sealed quite some time ago. No love for the record company execs here.

KingFish