Jump to content

Has Blue Note Europe abandoned copyprotection?


Claude

Recommended Posts

The latest batch of RVGs (August 2006) is apparently not copyprotected in Europe. Amazon.de does not state "kopiergeschützt", and the back cover does not have the Copycontrol warnings.

Donald Byrd - Royal Flush

http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B000GPI15U/

B000GPI15U.01.BACK._SS400_SCLZZZZZZZ_V60023615_.jpg

Kenny Dorham - Trompeta toccatta

http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B000GPI16O/

B000GPI16O.01.BACK._SS400_SCLZZZZZZZ_V60023559_.jpg

The same holds for the other titles of the August batch:

- Griffin, Johnny/The Congregation

- Mobley, Hank/Another Workout

- Morgan, Lee/The Cooker

- Quebec, Ike/Might As Well Be Spring

The September 2006 RVGs also have no indication on copyprotection, but as these are not released yet the info is not reliable.

Does anyone have information about the european pressings from the previous RVG batch (June 2006)? Amazon.de says "kopiergeschützt", but the back cover does not have the Copycontrol logo. Could be that they used the picture of the US pressing though.

Jackie McLean - It's time

http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B000FIMHI0/

B000FIMHI0.01.BACK._SS400_SCLZZZZZZZ_V51302954_.jpg

For comparision, here is the back cover from The Crusaders - Live at the Lighthouse, released in May 2006:

http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B000FDJ4I6/

B000FDJ4I6.01.BACK._SS400_SCLZZZZZZZ_V50337216_.jpg

As there is no decent jazz store here in Luxembourg, I have to rely on online information.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes they have abandoned Copy Protection, I mentioned this in the Aug 15th RVGs thread, I also mentioned it in the June 2006 Connoisseur CDs thread, but no one believed me then either. :g:g:g

Sorry Cliff, I missed that in the RVG thread, when you wrote about no "C.C. info on the labels".

What about the June RVGs? Is Amazon.de wrong, as some suggest in the Conn thread:

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...6096&st=200

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What about the June RVGs? Is Amazon.de wrong, as some suggest in the Conn thread:

Those weren't RVGs, they were Connoisseurs, and yes - no copy protection on those either.

It was the first batch in years that came out here without it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the clarification. I got confused with the two series.

I also found this:

In the Netherlands, the record labels Sony and Universal experimented with copy control until 2004. The only remaining record label using it, EMI, silently dropped it since June 2006.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copy_Control

It's strange that this didn't make the news.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

European EMI titles were released in the Cactus Data Shield format from July 2003 to May 2006. The last Cactus batch was the one from May that included Cannonball Adderley, Stan Kenton, and the aforementioned Jazz Crusaders. After that they returned to Red Book CDs, including the June Connoisseurs. Not that there has been any official EMI statement about it.

I wonder why they abandoned such an improved format? :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it may have been the SonyBMG rootkit scandal that made them change. Although the Cactus Datashield system is harmless in comparision, the perception of many CD buyers is now that copyprotection in general is risky for the PC.

The iPod boom also creates a big problem for the labels to justify copy protection. While many people understand that they are not supposed to burn CD-R copies of their discs, they can't accept the fact that they cannot transfer the music to their iPod, and have to pay again for downloads of the same tracks (if available). The Cactus system only offers the possibility to play the music on the PC (in a compressed format), but not to transfer it onto a portable player.

Edited by Claude
Link to comment
Share on other sites

How come this so called castus format isn't working on a Apple? I've had no problems at all copying these for cd-r burns on regular (paid for) software. Oh and indeed EMI dropped it because they're scared for law suits like the ones Sony faced in the US.

Edited by Bluerein
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And my one experience with purchasing a copy-controlled disc...

(the European version of this disc...

B0001FFIXS.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

...that couw got for me when it first came out, before I knew there'd be a US verison without copy protection)

...is that the disc copied just fine, without ANY(!) troubles or errors whatsoever, on my PC. Made a couple copies, in fact, just to be sure it wasn't a fluke. :huh:

What the hell?? :angry: Crappy non-standard format with built-in errors -- and the copy-protection scheme didn't even phase my completely "off-the-shelf", "bare-bones" "same-software-as-was-preloaded-on-my-PC-when-I-first-got-it". What's the point??

Edited by Rooster_Ties
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is so ridiculous is that these copy fine. You just have to refuse the software it wants to load then access it normally. What WAS the point?

No, you're confusing the Cactus Datashield (EMI) with Suncomm (BMG) copyprotection schemes. Cactus Datashiled does not rely on software loading from the CD. It's the data themselves that are corrupted, resulting in crackling noises on the ripped files, unless the drive is immune to the scheme.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is so ridiculous is that these copy fine. You just have to refuse the software it wants to load then access it normally. What WAS the point?

No, you're confusing the Cactus Datashield (EMI) with Suncomm (BMG) copyprotection schemes. Cactus Datashiled does not rely on software loading from the CD. It's the data themselves that are corrupted, resulting in crackling noises on the ripped files, unless the drive is immune to the scheme.

Well... I did buy one and it DID try to load software...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, that is the player that opens the compressed tracks on the data portion of the CD. But the software does not load in order to prevent the CD to be copied. It's harmless.

The data section of the disc and the software are only a added convenience, to allow the CD to be used on a computer. If the protection works as planned, the CD drive will not see the audio data on the CD but only the data section with the player and the compressed tracks.

The Sunncomm scheme, which was used by BMG on some CDs in the US, loaded a driver that prevented Windows to access the audio data on the disc. If the user did not allow the software to load after inserting the CD (prevent Autostart by holding the Shift key), the CD just worked like a regular audio CD without copyprotection.

Edited by Claude
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes that is what I thought. However I can also report that my wma's from the CC-ed disk are pretty immaculate - I am listening to them again now. I really don't hear any problems... I don't get it. That is why I thought the software installation was the first line of defence.

It won't play in the car at all though.

Edited by David Ayers
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My boycott has paid off!! :g

I am going to start buying European BN stuff again. I have been buying all my BN reissues from America despite the shipping costs since they introduced this Copy protection nonsense.

Edited by ASNL77
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...