Sony new CD copy protection scheme again!

[SingSing]

A patent filed by Sony last week suggests it may once again be considering preventing consumers making "too many" back-up copies of its CDs.

See : http://www.newscientisttech.com/channel/tech/dn9728.html

[ViRaL1]

Vaporware. Scareware maybe. Even if, take the number of copies, multiply by the number of PCs. It's just not a viable option. Not to mention that none of your copies will have that same protection built in.

[SingSing]

Sony knows this going to get (bad)press, and it costs $10,000.00 to start a filing process. Sony must have a reason to start the application

Maybe it is geared toward the next BIG things likes : BLURAY ?

[snipper_cr]

The article talks about an imbedded peice of hardware. This means that each person would need a new optical drive with this new hardware. Although, im sure under the DMCA that if you do not have that drive you are in trouble.

Watch, this new wireless technology causes computers to crash each time the disk spins up or something... that would be sony (remembrence of rootkittage).

[JohnnyMalaria]

Sony knows this going to get (bad)press, and it costs $10,000.00 to start a filing process. Sony must have a reason to start the application

Where on earth do you get your information?

The basic filing fee for a utility patent (such as this) in the US is $300.00, as per http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/qs/ope/fee2006september15.htm#patapp

Even so, $10,000 is small change to Sony and companies like Sony patent just about anything and everything to block the competition (i.e., sew up the intellectual property landscape). A behemoth like Sony filing a patent doesn't mean squat.

Since 1976, Sony have taken out more than 23,000 US patents alone - http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2F...FIELD2=&d=PTXT)
- that's an average of 2 every single day.

In this regard, Sony are just like 3M and DuPont.


Oh - and this isn't news - the New Scientist report is 12 August.

Stop being paranoid.

[SingSing]

Here it goes again! sigh...

[rayzray]

edited..

[JohnnyMalaria]

It's a shame Sony (proper) get such a bad rap for the bad ways of a completely separate company - Sony-BMG.

Sony-BMG is the company that put the rootkit on their CDs - not Sony.

The shares in Sony-BMG are owned 50% by Sony and 50% by Bertelsmann AG.

Who?

Well, BMG to most people. But actually Bertelsmann AG is the parent of:

RTL Group - Europe's largest broadcasting and production company that operates television and radio stations in eleven different countries

Random House - yes, Random House - the world’s largest general-interest book publisher.

Gruner + Jahr - more than 285 print titles and accompanying homepages in over 20 countries, printing plants in Germany and the United States, and professional websites.

BMG - Revenue € 2.128 billion

Arvato - Arvato's printing operations are among Europe's leading vendors in both gravure and offset. Its U.S. subsidiary, Offset Paperback Manufacturers, produces more than a million paperbacks each day.

Direct Group - brings all sorts of media to the people – wherever customers want it, from traditional hardcovers and paperbacks to DVDs. The range and quality of its clubs and online shops have attracted 35 million members in 22 countries. (i.e., the get 10 CDs for a penny stuff)

That's a lot of stuff to boycott!

Oh...and the source for this information: http://www.bertelsmann.com/bertelsmann_corp/wms41/bm/index.php?ci=99&language=2

[Cobra]

Moved to OT - not video news.