SunnComm agrees to buy Darknoise to block analogue loophole

Up until now, companies developing copy-protection for Audio-CDs have always aimed at blocking the ability to digitally rip music from a CD on a PC, but did not have any effect on analogue re-recordings .  The UK-based Darknoise Technologies have been developing an approach that blocks the ability to use the analogue loophole for re-recording music by either a microphone in front of a speaker or using line/speaker-out to line-in.  The system works by
modifying the original audio in a way which is inaudible to the ear, but is picked up as loud audible noise on any input source whether the recording remains in analogue such as on tape or is converted to digital, thus resulting in a noisy recording.  The system also works on radio-broadcasts to stop unauthorised taping from the radio as well as interferes with MP3 encoders thus resulting in poor quality MP3 encodings.

SunnComm Technologies said on Wednesday that they have agreed to buy the Darknoise Technologies firm to bring their anti-piracy methods to a new level.  Plans have also been made to show the Darknoise Technology to the executives at BMG since they have previously used SunnComm’s original anti-rip technology .  Unfortunately, BMG ran into problems with SunnComm’s original anti-piracy system when a graduate student showed how to get around it by holding down the shift key upon loading a protected CD .

I cannot see too many consumers keen on this technology if they have no choice but to take the original CD where ever they go since digital audio players and even cassette tape recordings are ruled out.  It would also make online-services superior to these CDs as most online services including Napster and iTunes allow consumers to record their music onto CD-R.  Finally I would say that the music industry would be very happy to use this technology to prevent radio listeners from taping off the radio.  It is like the audio equivalent of Macrovision.

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Source: CNET News – The Net