X-Nico

unusual facts about copy protection



The Right to Read

It is notable for being written before the use of Digital Rights Management technology was widespread (although DVD video discs which used DRM had appeared the year before, and various proprietary software since the 1970s had made use of some form of copy protection), and for predicting later hardware-based attempts to restrict how users could use content, such as Trusted Computing.


see also

Audio Home Recording Act

The RIAA filed suit to enjoin the manufacture and distribution of the Rio PMP300, one of the first portable MP3 players, because it did not include the SCMS copy protection required by the act, and Diamond did not intend to pay royalties.

Cactus Data Shield

The first ever commercially released CD to utilise copy-protection was "White Lilies Island" by Natalie Imbruglia, which used the Cactus Data Shield and was released in November 2001.

DVD X Copy

Anticipating a lawsuit by the major Hollywood motion picture studios, in April 2002, 321 Studios filed a pre-emptive complaint against eight Hollywood studios contending that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), a law that prohibits the circumvention of copy protection technology, violates consumer rights as provided in the Fair Use doctrine of the Copyright Act of 1976.

Frak!

As part of the copy protection, illegal copies would cause a fully polyphonic rendition of Trumpet Hornpipe, the Captain Pugwash theme tune, to play endlessly rather than loading the game properly (Pugwash being a pirate).

Hanyu Da Cidian

This version includes SecuROM DRM copy protection software in its installation, possibly in response to the earlier version's ISO image being illegally distributed on VeryCD.

Protect Software

ProtectDISC Software is a copy protection and digital rights management solution for Microsoft Windows applications and video games on mass replicated CDs and DVDs, designed to prevent the copying of discs for casual or commercial use.

UFO: Aftershock

The game was re-released by GOG.com, a digital distribution video game retailer, without any copy protection.

Vertical blanking interval

In analog television systems the vertical blanking interval can be used for datacasting (to carry digital data), since nothing sent during the VBI is displayed on the screen; various test signals, time codes, closed captioning, teletext, CGMS-A copy-protection indicators, and various data encoded by the XDS protocol (e.g., the content ratings for V-chip use) and other digital data can be sent during this time period.

XCP

Extended Copy Protection, a CD copy protection technique used on some Sony CD albums