Music companies have already experimented with copy-proof music CDs that had some form of anti-copying technology built into them. Unfortunately, these CDs often could not be played on a PC, and also sometimes prevented playback on portable devices and car stereos. This clumsy attempt at copy-proofing led to serious concerns from consumer protection bodies that the industry was over-reacting and preventing legitimate copying of content, as growing numbers of people legitimately store and listen to their music on PCs and other portable devices.

Microsoft’s Windows Media Data Session Toolkit, a new component of Windows Media 9 Series, aims to give recording companies the ability to fine-tune copying by users, for example by permitting limited duplications. This would allow users to make two copies of their purchased music, for instance for use in their car stereo and/or Walkman. It does this with the use of different layers. The PC layer, laid digitally on to a music CD, could be modified to prevent a computer user from burning songs on to another CD, or sharing the files over internet file-swapping services for example.

Music companies could also allow users to email songs to their friends, but with degraded sound quality, or an expiration date that could make the song unplayable after a certain date. The software can also be used on DVDs to protect movies.

Already, two recording giants – Vivendi Universal SA’s Universal Music Group and EMI Group Plc – are to use Microsoft’s technology on future music CDs. The software has also been adopted by the world’s largest independent CD manufacturer, the French-based company, MPO.

Microsoft is determined to rule the digital media revolution, and is attempting to promote its Windows Media file format for movies and music, both off and on the personal computer. It is currently putting the squeeze on competitors such as Macrovision Inc and RealNetworks Inc, which earlier this month announced the beta release of its digital rights management system, Helix DRM, to help prevent theft of digital content.

Across the world, music sales fell by 9.2% last year, while in the USA sales were down 11%. The music industry is pinning most of the blame on piracy, mostly via the internet, and is actively seeking technology to prevent this.

Source: Computerwire