Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
loped by First 4 Internet, now known as Fortium Technologies, Inc.) or MediaMax CD-3
(developed by SunnComm).
These programs limited the user's ability to work freely with the songs (as can be done
with normal music CDs), and, worse yet, were installed on PCs without the user being
notified. The type of installer Sony used is called a
rootkit
, which is a program that hides
its presence from the OS and makes it easier for worms and other malware to attack the
system.
After security and privacy advocates attacked Sony's use of DRM and rootkits without
adequate notice to music purchasers, Sony introduced a rootkit removal tool and eventu-
ally recalled all albums in 2006, settling a lawsuit with the Federal Trade Commission.
Although Sony's attempt to use DRM was botched by its failure to inform customers that
CDs contained DRM software and the software did not provide a way for users to block
installation, it's possible that DRM features that avoid Sony's mistakes may be used on
CD and other types of media in the future.
DVD Copy Protection
DVD-Video discs employ several levels of protection that are mainly controlled by the
DVD Copy Control Association (DVD CCA) and a third-party company called Macrovi-
sion (they developed SafeDisk).
This protection typically applies only to DVD-Video discs, not DVD-ROM software. So,
for example, copy protection might affect your ability to make backup copies of
The Mat-
rix
, but it won't affect a DVD encyclopedia or other software application distributed on
DVD-ROM discs.
Note that every one of these protection systems has been broken, so with a little extra
expense or the correct software, you can defeat the protection and make copies of your
DVDs either to other digital media (hard drive, optical drive, flash drive, and so on) or to
analog media (such as a VHS or other tape format).
A lot of time and money are wasted on these protection schemes, which can't really foil
the professional bootleggers willing to spend the time and money to work around them.
But they can make it difficult forthe average persontolegitimately back uphisexpensive
media.
The four main protection systems used with DVD-Video discs are as follows:
• Regional Playback Control (RPC)
• Content Scrambling System (CSS)
• Analog Protection System (APS)
