Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Super Glue; The answer to piracy?

This is topic Super Glue; The answer to piracy? in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Don E. Nelson (Member # 1049) on 08-12-2003, 08:59 AM:

Sad but true. This story in the latest issue of New Scientist magazine says it all. "Virging on the ridiculous."

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992804

A US record company has issued reviewers with portable CD players that are glued shut to prevent two new albums from being pirated online before their official releases.

Epic Records Group has taken the drastic step of sealing CD players shut and gluing headphones onto them to stop digital copies being made from promotional albums.

"Sign of desperation"

Jim Peters, of the UK lobby group Campaign for Digital Rights (CDR), says this latest measure reflects the difficulty of trying to control listeners' use of digital music.

"It's a sign of desperation," Peters told New Scientist. "I think its time for them to start rethinking their business model because it's getting ridiculous."

..........................gluing headphones onto them to stop digital copies being made from promotional albums.

"Does anyone know how this headphone thing????stops piracy?"

Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 08-12-2003, 09:17 AM:

You know it just might be easier for them to NOT let people review stuff until AFTER the CD has been released.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 08-12-2003, 09:48 AM:

Desperation?! What?! That's bullshit!
No, somebody's finally got some freakin' smarts!

I really hope this catches on! It will prove to the idiots in the movie industry that piracy DOESN'T come from the consumer level but from all those stupid SCREENER videos that they give away!

Posted by Michael Gonzalez (Member # 593) on 08-12-2003, 12:02 PM:

"Does anyone know how this headphone thing????stops piracy?"

The headphone jack can be used as an output source for recording. So instead of pluging headphones into the jack, you can plug a CD recorder into the jack to copy the CD. So in theory, glueing the headphones into the jack prevents someone from plugging anything else into it.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-12-2003, 12:51 PM:

The headphone wire can still be cut and then you are free to splice in a 1/8th inch stereo minijack to go straight to your computer or wherever, ample for copying. This will not deter ANYONE who is intent on copying, guaranteed.

Personally if I were a reviewer, I'd be damned annoyed to be forced to listen with headphones. That's not the most comfortable or ideal listening environment.

Posted by William Leland III (Member # 1400) on 08-12-2003, 12:58 PM:

That is funny. A mutli million dollar recording studio resulting to use glue to stop piracy. It won't stop the theft, but it might slow it down.

Posted by Don Bruechert (Member # 1538) on 08-12-2003, 01:03 PM:

Not to mention that if you don't have to pay for the CD player you might just as well take a dremel tool and make short work of the super glue.... Just open up the case and take the CD out.... If they were really crafty they could put one of those dye capsules like are used on clothes in there so that if you open it (in clear violation of your license agreement) the CD (and you) get splattered with some kind of nasty dye that ruins the CD....

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 08-12-2003, 01:45 PM:

I'd imagine that the reviewers have to return the equipment after they're done with it, so somebody would probably notice that it's been tampered with.

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 08-12-2003, 03:25 PM:

I agree with Mike:

Why can't people review movies AFTER they are in theatrical release? Screener DVDs and videos are a result of the BIG L word:

LAZINESS.

It's what makes the world go 'round (NOT).

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 08-12-2003, 04:23 PM:

But pre-release reviews create buzz (good or bad, doesn't matter) for that all-important first week in release!

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-12-2003, 07:36 PM:

Why don't they put some sort of audible "cap code" onto the CDs? That way, even if encoded to MP3, they can tell which disc it came from and which reviewer got that disc. Then they politely ask him to please not do that and then go sue every person who downloaded it.

Why aren't they doing a "cap code" with screeners? Is the movie industry really this stupid? They could nip a large portion of piracy in the bud this way.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 08-13-2003, 08:55 AM:

Printing a unique code on each print of a movie is relatively easy, as you are just printing the code data over the picture. Mass produced tapes and DVDs are made from a master, so adding a unique traceable code is not as easy. If you made copies one at a time, a code could be added.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 08-13-2003, 06:01 PM:

But seriously how many copies are we talking about? I'm not saying for the general public release, just the copies that go out for review.