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By WreckingBall
#3402
When we purchase Hardware that plays electronic Media of any kind, the manufacturer (or distributor/retailer) of the Hardware will have to encode the purchaser's PassKey (Last Name, SSN, etc.) into the Player. When digital media is purchased, the same will happen...the purchaser's PassKey will be encoded into the electronic Media. (Of course they may use their wife's/Friend's/Boss's PassKey if it is a gift.)

The Player will only play the media if the passkeys match. Of course there will be ways for pirate hackers to take a general media, pull the pass code out and insert another one... but if it is a complex enough system they won't want to spend their time working on a hack for weeks when they can just download the song or movie for $5. FileSwapping like Old Napster and Kazaa are then extinct.

If your HardwareKey fails.... go back to the retailer or manufacturer and have it reset or replaced. This is a fairly old idea in software. A Finite Element Analysis package for $15000 comes with a Hardware key. The Software periodically checks the serial port for the hardware key that came with the software...if it isn't there, it doesn't play. When will this technology catch on in entertainment??

Reward: A pat on the back.
User avatar
By Steve
#3424
Interesting approach - but does it mean that when I'm invited to a friend's party and I'm asked to bring a couple of CDs, I won't be able to use them in his player? 8-o
By WreckingBall
#3427
Good point (even though this is a limited use idea). What about having the option of keeping a temporary key (or two) in his CD Player.

Perhaps, he asks you and a friend to bring over some music...then, along with his SoftwareKey (which is permanent) He encodes your key and a friends. Now he can play music he has purchased, along with your music, and the third friend's music.

Obviously this starts to degrade security...but, suppose the temporary keys take something like 30 minutes to activate and automatically expires after 12 hours or something. It will be a pain to download a bunch of pirated music, find out what the key is for each musical piece, then code these keys in and wait 30 minutes. !+)
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By Steve
#3428
The problem with such a security mechanism might be that can might actually encourage piracy. I know it from my own experience - my CD player is 15 years old, and the new CDs I buy in the shop tend to "jump", however any pirated copies work just fine. I assume that the original CDs contain some broken data bits which are supposed to hinder the copying, but in reality it's just an obstacle for me as a legitimate buyer, while my CD burner couldn't care less.
By WreckingBall
#3429
Perhaps your cd player is going on the fritz? I have the opposite problem....cds that I burn don't play for longer than about 30 or 40 times before I have to dump them and start over.

Anyway, CDs will also be a thing of the past. Songs and such will be downloaded onto Flash Memory of some sort...just like an MP3 player. I use them for example but they are becoming ancient technology. We made the progression from 8-track through tapes into CDs in a shorter period than we've had CDs. I think the technology is going on 25 years!

Another nice thing about the encoding is that you'll be able to prove you bought the song...and if you ever lose it or somehow the data is damaged, you should be able to get a new copy for free as long as you have your proof of purchase. There is no additional cost to the manufacturer of electronic media if there is no tangible media (CD, DVD, ETC.) to go along with it.
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By Steve
#3430
Ya, I should definitely buy a new CD player. But then again, like you said, it might be a thing of the past anyway, and as long as I get along for now by pirating my own CDs... ;-)
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By Boraxus
#6137
Steve wrote:Interesting approach - but does it mean that when I'm invited to a friend's party and I'm asked to bring a couple of CDs, I won't be able to use them in his player? 8-o
What about the license allowing you to pirate and play any or all music for a limited time – i.e.

You pay a fee (like $100 a year) and you get a license to burn, copy and replicate any and all media (DVD/CD etc). You are supplied media to do this that is either designed to degrade within a set period (they already have the technology for this) or just mark you as someone who if caught distributing pirated software on hard copy (other than file sharing), will be severely fined. The media supplied/offered is as cheap or cheaper than any media you could buy, but is marked and tracked by the music industry so that they can tell if you are distributing :P .

Too much work… why not just let give movies and music out for free and have people “donate” as they wish to the film or music they like the best? Increase the cost of cd/dvd/mp3 media to compensate for a portion of industry loss, and call it a night?

True capitalism – if the users think the movie isn’t worth it, they won’t pay it. And if someone is “dishonest” and gives nothing – well - isn’t that equivalent to pirating anyways? Ya, so I pay 1.25 rather than 1.10 per DVD – but my opinion begins to matter more (I’ll put my money where my mouth is! I’ll give 15$ to Blade Runner, and .05 cents to Mrs. Winterborn! Although I think my wife will pay differently…)
By ajr
#6299
</RANT>
Every attempt at anti-piracy will always have a countermeasure until we are androids & connected somehow via a wireless connection;)

Everything in its final stage is converted back to analog. We see & hear in this format. Even the last stage of digital on newer soundcards can be streamed to another pc, resampled & the encryption removed.

There are always ways to decrypt the original DVD(it needs decryption to be viewed) therefore a DVD can be duplicated.

On another note, if something is real good & I want it I will buy it. What ticks me off , a DVD contains a full length movie & is often cheaper than an audio CD. Often an audio CD only has a few songs that are popular or liked. So I waste $15+ on a few songs or download them.
I have bought cassettes & they are all useless.
I refuse to buy the music again.
I have bought a few greatest hit albums & thats my limit.
I have bought concert tickets also. I don't have to pay to listen to the radio, once the XM/Sirius satellite streams get more precise I will be streaming what I like digitally into mp3s.

Movies I like I will buy though. Now that they have a true digital format that somewhat lasts, & thats it.

Bring CD's down to something like $3-$5(what they are worth) / piece & they'll sell like hotcakes.

</END RANT>
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