Black felt tip pen

[rock1873]

I have heard that if you run a black tip pen around the circumference of a dvd,it cancels the dopy protecyion . True/ false ???

[rojash]

Absolutely not, and there could be no technical explanation as to how it could.

[wideboy]

Have a look here:-

http://www.avrev.com/news/0502/22.copyprotection.shtml

http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/2981.cfm

and Google it.

[stevie21]

http://www.usatoday.com/money/tech/2002-05-20-copyproof- cd.htm

"The "copy protection" is simply a means of preventing the discs from working in a PC. This is done by putting a phony "data" track on the outer rim of the disc. It's visibly seperated from the rest of the information on the disc by small ring between the data and audio sections. An audio CD player will never access this track, but a PC CD-ROM drive will always try to read the data tracks first -- since it can't read the data track it regards the CD as non-working and you won't be able to play it. Using a marker on the outer rim (from what I understand you make a diagonal mark along the data track that runs tangent to the seperator for the audio track, but does not actually mark over the audio tracks) you block out the data track, and as such the drive won't read it."

So it's not around the millimetres thick circumference, it's on the shiny underside, right at the outer edge. And I've read that this applies to Sony Audio CD protection - not sure it applies to all CDs or even DVDs.

A program called AnyDVD can instruct your PC to ignore any copy protection on DVDs.

[wideboy]

On another tack - there used to be a fad for running a green pen (sometimes purple, sometimes black) around the outside rim to improve the quality of a CD/DVD - think it was supposed to stop light from leaking out! (You could even buy green plastic rings to do the same).

[fo3nix]

it is true, yes (as the above links indicate).

rojash: i'm not sure how, but it must be to do with the change of optics for the laser, or something...

another form of copy protection was foiled by putting a thin piece of selotape (other brands are available) on the inside of the CD.

why dont they learn, and just remove copy protection? in fact, just remove copyright period.

[PhilBy]

The ultimate catch 22 .... The laws states I am allowed ro own one back up copy of any legally purchased CD or DVD, but I have noticed on some recently released DVD's they now state it is unlawful to bypass the copyright protection!?

[wideboy]

In this country I believe it isn't legal to make even one backup - that seems to be the case in the US.

[rojash]

I was taking the question to mean running the pen round the EDGE of the CD, not the surface,and there is cetainly no way that's going to work.

I couldn't agree more fo3nix - "just remove copy protection."

[stevie21]

PhilBy - it is illegal to make any copy of copyrighted material in the UK.
The "fair use" clause exists in the USA, not here.

[fo3nix]

and the fair use clause is even being limited in the states, with the DMCA.

[kepla]

I can't quite understand why somebody would be so stupidly narrow-minded as to want to get rid of copyright or make illegal copies of copyrighted works (a type of theft). I realise that in any society there will be a small moronic, dishonest element who feel that they should take for free what others have worked hard to create but, surely, the rest of us are supposed to discourage them - not help them ! Basically, if you want to listen to some music or watch a film and you aren't prepared to pay to be entertained by somebody else's hardwork then why not go off and make your own ?

[rojash]

Interesting rant, Kepla. As a software writer and ex-musician, I naturally don't agree with theft of copyrighted work. On the other hand, I have just paid for the privilege of downloading some music from the internet. Of the amount I've paid, the artist and songwriter will see very little, and what's more, thanks to the protection system, I can't put it on my MP3 player to listen to in bed, I can't write it to a CD and play it on my hifi or in my car. The only place I can listen to it is in my office on my computer. This is one reason that honest people are sick of the stuborn and ridiculous corporate mindset behind copy protection.

The major record companies insist that less people are buying music due to piracy, and yet small independant companies have seen sales increase.

Why? Because the large labels are run by accountants, who see a successful band, and think all they need to do to make money is produce hundreds of manufactured clones. When people don't buy the product, instead of recognising that it's a bad product, they look around for someone else to blame.

Small independent labels look for genuine talent and innovation, embrace a modern method of selling and distribution, price according to their real costs, and everybody gains.

[fo3nix]

kepla: do you know what copyright is actually for? It's just to help further human knowledge, and help people. It's not to prevent people from doing things.

OK, so by law you can't lend your friend a piece of computer software (an encyclopaedia, say. Encarta...). What if one day, your neighbour comes round, saying that their computer had to be wiped, they have an essay due the next day, and ask to borrow your software. Do you help your neighbour and break the law, or do you uphold the law and be a git by not helping a friend?

I think there is a place for copyright, but it shouldn't stop you from helping others, or stop you from being able to do whatever you want to do with it. If I but a CD, I want to be able to do whatever I want with it. If I want to play it in my car, I should be able to. If I want to play it on my iPod, I should be able to. I bought the damn thing!! But some CDs now (more in future, unless something changes) are being made with features that stop you from being able to do these things. That is bad in my book. I don't know about you.

Also, do you really believe that artists, musicians, etc. that make CDs actually get paid much from CD sales? Hmm...