DVDs w/ Built in USB Ports for Copy Protection 306
An anonymous reader writes "Aladdin has come up with a new way of restricting the data stored on optical discs. It's 'XCD' format has a chip built directly into the disc and which fits into a USB port. So, a user needs to plug the disc into their computer to access a cryptophic key before being able to use the data stored on the disc (presumably in some sort of proprietary player)."
Proprietary player? no copying? (Score:1, Insightful)
it's called a dongle. (Score:5, Insightful)
we don't need them back, they sucked originally..
Heh (Score:5, Insightful)
The market shall dictate (Score:3, Insightful)
While I appreciate... (Score:4, Insightful)
1) It adds no value to the content of the delivery.
2) It makes it more difficult for customers to use the product.
This might hit some nitch market. It might work acceptably for software sales (infact, the dongle trick has been used for years on software), where the interface and consumer expectations differ. But this will never work in the entertainment industry with out industry wide adoption (read: will never happen).
-Rick
Why, I'll just run out and buy it now! (Score:5, Insightful)
a. can't play on my existing PC (running Linux)
b. can't play using my existing DVD players
c. will lose the god damned dongle for
d. will not obtain any benefit from. In fact, I'll LOSE my fair use rights.
Thanks, but after thinking it over really hard, I decided to pass on it.
Hint: drop the DRM.
'Nuff said (Score:3, Insightful)
Every once in a great while, something comes along that is such a mindbogglingly stupid idea that there's no need to even comment on it. I'm not even going to dignify this idea with an explanation of why it's so stupid; I think it speaks for itself. I will say, however, that anyone who actually buys one of these things should be shot in the head to make their death quick and painless, because at least that way, we won't risk their idiocy potentially harming one or more of the rest of us when they tell their friends, "Hey, watch this!"
Mental note: Never buy stock in a company named Aladdin...
Not Only Unfriendly But Anti-Consumer... (Score:5, Insightful)
Wow! (Score:2, Insightful)
How amazing!
This sounds like a great idea (Score:1, Insightful)
Media-less society (Score:5, Insightful)
Another case of "just because you can doesn't mean you should".
Expected conversation at company (Score:4, Insightful)
"Yeah... and?"
"Well... They can't change the key that's on the USB part, because the encrypted data itself on the disc will have to remain static right?"
"What's your point?"
"Then wouldn't we have saved ourselves millions and millions of dollars by just having that key on the optical disc part to begin with?"
"..."
I really like this idea (Score:3, Insightful)
Or because... (Score:5, Insightful)
Actually, I think it's becase a whole bunch of companies want to invent the "holy grail" of copy protection schemes (the connotation of the word scheme makes it fit well here, I think), so they run around making up wildly rediculous stuff that either doesn't work, noone wants it, or is easily bypassed (using magic markers, the shift key, etc.). In the end it just annoys people, but these companies must be getting paid by the so-called content providers, because they never stop trying to think of silly new ways to do things, not realizing that their complicated schemes just annoy legitimate consumers and barely begin to challenge the "pirates".
Re:Expected conversation at company (Score:3, Insightful)
"[0024] Embedding electrical storage means with corresponding I/O means in a CD provides a unique device which may be implemented especially in data security field, i.e. a security device. For example, the XCD can be used as an ATM card, credit card, authentication card, and so forth. The owner of the XCD can open his office door by the proximity coil, use the embedded smart card or magnetic stripe and his picture printed on the CD as a credit card, use the XCD as an ID card on the Internet, as a security token (e.g. the eToken manufactured by Aladdin Knowledge Systems--Tel-Aviv, and so forth."
Content control for [whatever] is just one of the applications possible for their system. And they expect the CD to be wallet sized.
Personally, I'd like to see a better picture than this [newscientisttech.com]
Re:Stupid stupid idea (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:it's called a dongle. (Score:5, Insightful)
Though to be fair, you haven't seen a real dongle until you get into other lines of work like cable television where the dongle they sell you IS the server and you can't add memory without calling tech support and getting them to adjust your key. Seriously, the software/hardware sells for over $300k and it's little more than a Linux box.
Re:Stupid stupid idea (Score:3, Insightful)
As long as we're getting our facts straight, the "upcoming" formats are just that, upcoming. By the time they are anywhere near as standard in new computers as CD drives and USB ports are now, flash drives will have out-stripped their capacity. (Based on any reasonable estimate of adoption rates and flash capacity increase.) Mass produced, inert platic discs will continue to be far cheaper of course, but this whole idea is to add much of the expense of a flash drive to the disc. For no benefit to the customer.
Will this actually do anything? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Just playing with ideas... (Score:3, Insightful)
I hate artificial restrictions on what you can do with software. It's just like old-time minicomputers that could be upgraded to the faster, three times more expensive version by resoldering a wire inside.
It's almost a crime not to be able to use hardware or software you own to its full potential because of silly "licensing issues".
-Z
Kill it early, save a lot of trouble. (Score:5, Insightful)
That's like saying "eh, that DMCA bill is just a bunch of Congresscritters doing some research into ways to make a buck. Until it's on the House floor for a vote, it should just be considered interesting thoughts."
By the time Hollywood is trying to push something down your throat, it's probably already too late. This sort of stupidity needs to be nipped in the bud; the idiot executives who spend millions on these systems and millions more buying laws to force them on us, need to learn that no DRM scheme will last against the concerted effort of thousands of people. It's fundamentally flawed, irretrievably broken, and it doesn't matter if they put the decryption key on a USB dongle, or a special sector of the disc, or over the Internet.
All DRM is broken, it's just a question of how obnoxious it is to legitimate users. Systems that just reek of stupidity, like this one does, should be killed quickly before they can gain any traction.
Re:Stupid stupid idea (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Been there, done that (Score:3, Insightful)
Thanks for noticing. Many software houses did the toss it out and see if it sells. Having had to deal with a dongle that got borrowed and having the critical software die including any possiblility to restoring from a backup set my policy.. No dongles ever. Too bad you had to learn the hard way instead of asking your customer base. Some software now tries to use your PC as a dongle. I've had hardware die. I know you are worried about piracy. I'm even more worried about failed software. What's worse, no sales or some sales and some piracy. Your choice.. Pick one.
Re:Just playing with ideas... (Score:3, Insightful)
So if I sold you a personal accounting program, you should be able to sell accounting services with it? Companies don't do it just for kicks and giggles, they do it because there's a high-margin market and the cheapest way to serve both markets is to have some sort of switch. If they couldn't put licensing restrictions you'd have one price that'd be overpriced for individuals and underpriced for corporations. You'd have to go for one market, or feature-cripple the personal edition until it's no longer usable for selling a service.
Same way with hardware, it's not just minimachines - controller and RAID cards are essentially the same. nVidia and ATI disable pipelines. Intel and AMD place their processors in lower speed bins than they test for. IBM used to ship complete racks - almost every feature you wanted, they just enabled it. Why? It's not because they were "silly", it's because you shouldn't get more for that price. The only reason they didn't leave it out or forever burn away the capability is because voiding your warranty, soldering etc. is enough of a deterrant. If everyone used it "to its full potentional" they would cripple it properly until that was the full potential.
You don't like pricing by purpose? You don't like pricing by volume? You want a price that is completely off target because of something that you could have been doing with the software? Then go ahead. The only thing you'll get is some very poorly mismatched feature-crippled product variations trying to fence you off in the same category. I'd much rather have a restriction by license than a restriction by features.
Re:Stupid stupid idea (Score:3, Insightful)
This is a pretty lousy justification
But it's free! I'll install it for you right now.
(I'm not saying this is the situation with you, just that your reasoning sucks