Workaround for newest copy protection: The shift key

A Princeton graduate student said Monday that he has figured out a way to defeat new software intended to keep music CDs from being copied on a computer -- simply by pressing the Shift-key.

In a paper posted on his [link|http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~jhalderm/cd3/| Web site] late Monday, John Halderman said the MediaMax CD3 software developed by SunnComm Technologies Inc. could be defeated on computers running the Windows operating system by holding down the Shift key, disabling a Windows feature that automatically launches the encryption software on the disc.

Halderman said the protection could also be disabled by stopping the driver the CD installs when it is first inserted into a computer's drive.

Computers running Linux and older versions of the Mac operating system are unable to run the software and are able to copy the disc freely, he said.

The CD in question, Anthony Hamilton's "Comin' From Where I'm From," was released by BMG's Arista label in late September. Music retailers praised the release, which BMG touted as a breakthrough in the industry's efforts to prevent music piracy.

[link|http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/2142976|story]

Emphasis added.

--\n-------------------------------------------------------------------\n* Jack Troughton jake at consultron.ca *\n* [link|http://consultron.ca|http://consultron.ca] [link|irc://irc.ecomstation.ca|irc://irc.ecomstation.ca] *\n* Kingston Ontario Canada [link|news://news.consultron.ca|news://news.consultron.ca] *\n-------------------------------------------------------------------

Darrell Spice, Jr. [link|http://www.spiceware.org/cgi-bin/spa.pl?album=./Artistic%20Overpass|Artistic Overpass]\n[link|http://www.spiceware.org/|SpiceWare] - We don't do Windows, it's too much of a chore

[link|http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2003/10/10/news/8797.shtml|http://www.dailyprin...0/news/8797.shtml]

SunnComm Technologies, Inc. announced yesterday morning it would sue first-year graduate student John Halderman over his recent critique of the company's new CD copy-protection method, but by the end of the day SunnComm president and CEO Peter Jacobs said he changed his mind.

Jacobs said in an interview late last night that a successful lawsuit would do little to reverse the damage done by the paper Halderman published Monday about his research, and any suit would likely hurt the research community by making computer scientists think twice about researching copy-protection technology.

Amazing.

Post #120,368 by lincoln 10/7/03 8:51:55 PM Reply	Workaround for newest copy protection: The shift key A Princeton graduate student said Monday that he has figured out a way to defeat new software intended to keep music CDs from being copied on a computer -- simply by pressing the Shift-key. In a paper posted on his [link\|http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~jhalderm/cd3/\| Web site] late Monday, John Halderman said the MediaMax CD3 software developed by SunnComm Technologies Inc. could be defeated on computers running the Windows operating system by holding down the Shift key, disabling a Windows feature that automatically launches the encryption software on the disc. Halderman said the protection could also be disabled by stopping the driver the CD installs when it is first inserted into a computer's drive. Computers running Linux and older versions of the Mac operating system are unable to run the software and are able to copy the disc freely, he said. The CD in question, Anthony Hamilton's "Comin' From Where I'm From," was released by BMG's Arista label in late September. Music retailers praised the release, which BMG touted as a breakthrough in the industry's efforts to prevent music piracy. [link\|http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/2142976\|story] Emphasis added. lincoln "Windows XP has so many holes in its security that any reasonable user will conclude it was designed by the same German officer who created the prison compound in "Hogan's Heroes." - Andy Ihnatko, Chicago Sun-Times [link\|http://users3.ev1.net/~bconnors/resume.htm\|VB/SQL resume] [link\|http://users3.ev1.net/~bconnors/tandem_resume.htm\|Tandem resume] [link\|mailto:bconnors@ev1.net\|contact me]
Post #120,372 by a6l6e6x 10/7/03 9:06:12 PM Reply	ROFL! Alex "Don't let it end like this. Tell them I said something." -- last words of Pancho Villa (1877-1923)
Post #120,379 by inthane-chan 10/7/03 9:21:12 PM Reply	Note that I don't even have to do that. I disable the autorun "feature" on any Windows box I work on. Insecure buggy piece of shite, if you ask me. In that final hour, when each breath is a struggle to take, and you are looking back over your life's accomplishments, which memories would you treasure? The empires you built, or the joy you spread to others? Therin lies the true measure of a man.
Post #120,440 by admin 10/8/03 8:54:54 AM Reply	Which begs the question: How long until the company sues Linux distributors under the DMCA for providing a piece of software that bypasses encryption measures? Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
Post #120,531 by n3jja 10/8/03 7:55:41 PM Reply	Which begs another question: How long until the company sues Linux distributors under the DMCA for providing a piece of software that bypasses encryption measures? How can you sue someone if the software doesn't actually bypass the encryption methods, but simply ignores it because it wasn't designed to use those methods in the first place? I mean, wouldn't that be the same as trying to sue Ford because their cars won't accept a Chevy engine? The Ford car isn't designed to accept the Chevy engine in the first place.
Post #120,540 by admin 10/8/03 8:49:53 PM Reply	DMCA use isn't exactly the most logical to begin with... This would just be Yet Another Example of DMCA Stupidity. Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
Post #120,573 by n3jja 10/8/03 11:45:34 PM Reply	That's a given. ;-)
Post #120,584 by jake123 10/9/03 2:56:42 AM Reply	I'm waiting for (sorry but this is rude) for the time the RIAA lawyer sticks his own cock in his mouth and says "this is why you should ban X software/system/capability, yerrroner." Only a matter of time, I figure. --\n-------------------------------------------------------------------\n* Jack Troughton jake at consultron.ca \n [link\|http://consultron.ca\|http://consultron.ca] [link\|irc://irc.ecomstation.ca\|irc://irc.ecomstation.ca] \n Kingston Ontario Canada [link\|news://news.consultron.ca\|news://news.consultron.ca] *\n-------------------------------------------------------------------
Post #120,610 by ben_tilly 10/9/03 10:30:22 AM Reply	Sadly, I agree that that is just a question of time "good ideas and bad code build communities, the other three combinations do not" - [link\|http://archives.real-time.com/pipermail/cocoon-devel/2000-October/003023.html\|Stefano Mazzocchi]
Post #120,644 by SpiceWare 10/9/03 4:22:24 PM Reply	you knew it was coming - student being sued under DMCA [link\|http://weblog.siliconvalley.com/column/dangillmor/archives/001404.shtml#001404\|DRM Company Plans to Sue Student Researcher] Darrell Spice, Jr. [link\|http://www.spiceware.org/cgi-bin/spa.pl?album=./Artistic%20Overpass\|Artistic Overpass]\n[link\|http://www.spiceware.org/\|SpiceWare] - We don't do Windows, it's too much of a chore
Post #120,646 by drewk 10/9/03 4:27:24 PM Reply	What I don't get According to Peter Jacobs, SunnComm's CEO, "The conclusions contained in the Princeton University grad student's report issued last Monday were derived from incorrect assumptions by its author." So he was wrong? Then he's not exposing anything. What's his offense? === Implicitly condoning stupidity since 2001.
Post #120,779 by admin 10/10/03 11:25:41 AM Reply	Not anymahhhrrrr. [link\|http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2003/10/10/news/8797.shtml\|http://www.dailyprin...0/news/8797.shtml] SunnComm Technologies, Inc. announced yesterday morning it would sue first-year graduate student John Halderman over his recent critique of the company's new CD copy-protection method, but by the end of the day SunnComm president and CEO Peter Jacobs said he changed his mind. Jacobs said in an interview late last night that a successful lawsuit would do little to reverse the damage done by the paper Halderman published Monday about his research, and any suit would likely hurt the research community by making computer scientists think twice about researching copy-protection technology. Amazing. Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
Post #120,781 by inthane-chan 10/10/03 11:34:07 AM Reply	They are apparently quite depressed... ...over the 20% stock drop - from 15 cents/share to 12 cents/share. Grasping at straws, I tell you... In that final hour, when each breath is a struggle to take, and you are looking back over your life's accomplishments, which memories would you treasure? The empires you built, or the joy you spread to others? Therin lies the true measure of a man.
Post #120,796 by jake123 10/10/03 1:14:04 PM Reply	Probably talked to an actual lawyer as opposed to an MBA pretending they are one, and came to realise that they didn't have a prayer of actually succeeding, while getting a large number of people to hate them. --\n-------------------------------------------------------------------\n* Jack Troughton jake at consultron.ca \n [link\|http://consultron.ca\|http://consultron.ca] [link\|irc://irc.ecomstation.ca\|irc://irc.ecomstation.ca] \n Kingston Ontario Canada [link\|news://news.consultron.ca\|news://news.consultron.ca] *\n-------------------------------------------------------------------
Post #120,842 by deSitter 10/10/03 6:13:36 PM Reply	rofl When I feel down, I just start talking like a pirate and it's all good again. -drl
Post #120,858 by admin 10/10/03 7:21:04 PM Reply	Actually, should be said with a thick Irish brogue. Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."

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