The company is said to be preparing the release of a new range of CDs that use technology from UK anti-piracy firm First4Internet, as part of a campaign to introduce better copy-protected CDs to the US.
According to speculation, the XCP (eXtended Copy Protection) technology contains digital rights management (DRM) capabilities which allow users to burn a limited number of CDs in Microsoft’s Windows Media Audio format but bars them from making copies of the copies, a process known as sterile burning.
Other Sony BMG partners, which are likely to include Sunncomm and its MediaMax DRM platform, are expected to join First4Internet when they begin commercial trails of sterile burning within the next month.
