# Well thatr was compllicated - ‘Shift’ key breaks CD copy locks **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 7, 2003, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172 "2003-10-07T23:09:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172/1 "2003-10-07T23:09:30Z")
I wonder how much the company got paid that devised this diabolical, iron clad security system? From MSNBC [Shift’ key breaks CD copy locks - Princeton grad student shows how to break BMG’s system](http://www.msnbc.com/news/977144.asp?0cv=CB20) > [@](#): > > ``` > IN A PAPER PUBLISHED on his Web site Monday, Princeton Ph.D. student John Halderman explained how he disabled a new kind of copy-protection technology, distributed as part of a new album by BMG soul artist Anthony Hamilton. > Under normal circumstances, the antipiracy software is automatically loaded onto a Windows machine whenever the Hamilton album is run in a computer’s CD drive, making traditional copying or MP3 ripping impossible. However, simply holding down the Shift key prevents Windows’ AutoRun feature from loading the copy-protection software, leaving the music free to copy, Halderman said. > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172/2 "2003-10-07T23:14:16Z")
"Well thatr was compllicated " Spelling, for me, is apparently also full of complixtifications. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172/3 "2003-10-07T23:24:48Z")
Not to mention all the people like me who have autorun turned off… ---
**Author:** ![scotcho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@scotcho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotcho)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172/4 "2003-10-07T23:28:30Z")
wait, this was a published paper? seems to me that this “revelation” would take up what. one? two paragraphs? seems kinda weak for a Ph.D. student. good to know, though Scotcho ---
**Author:** ![Oy\_Vey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dbc845/32.png) [@Oy\_Vey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy_Vey)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172/5 "2003-10-07T23:29:50Z")
Hm. So, do we expect him to be sued under the DMCA for publishing the workaround? ---
**Author:** ![Papermache\_Prince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@Papermache\_Prince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Papermache_Prince)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172/6 "2003-10-07T23:52:13Z")
Well, Halderman’s article [Analysis of the MediaMax CD3 Copy-Prevention System](http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~jhalderm/cd3/) is longer than two or three paragraphs and has a photo of the album cover, too. At the report at [ZDNet.com.au](http://www.zdnet.com.au/newstech/security/story/0,2000048600,20279395,00.htm) SunnCom CEO Peter Jacobs “said the technology–which will be improved in future versions–should still be attractive to record companies. Though simple, the act of holding down the Shift key in order to enable copying does let computer users know they’re doing something unauthorised, he said. That alone will dissuade many people from making copies, he added.” Uh huh. Sure. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2003, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172/7 "2003-10-08T00:24:53Z")
I typically hold the Shift key down when putting a new CD in the drive, anyway (unless I don’t have any other programs running, and want the CD to auto-load, like a game). I woulda bypassed this copy-protection utterly unknowingly… but according to Peter Jacobs I woulda been committing a deliberate act of piracy. Silly executives. That’s what happens when computer illiterate people try to control a computer-related matter. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2003, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172/8 "2003-10-08T00:40:41Z")
I just turn off Auto-Run, so much easier… ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2003, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172/9 "2003-10-10T06:02:52Z")
I too have autorun disabled, to prevent people like them from doing things to my computer without my permission. It is a minor inconvenience sometimes, but I grew up with a Windows 3.1 machine with a CD drive I installed myself, so I can usually figure it out. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2003, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172/10 "2003-10-10T13:30:16Z")
Of course, now they’re suing him. [CNN Article](http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/biztech/10/10/bmg.protection.reut/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![SkyBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@SkyBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkyBum)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2003, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172/11 "2003-10-10T13:35:48Z")
I particularly liked this quote from the above link… > [@](#): > > “SunnComm believes that by making erroneous assumptions in putting together his critical review of the MediaMax CD-3 technology, Halderman came to false conclusions concerning the robustness and efficacy of SunnComm’s MediaMax technology,” it said. Robust my ass… ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172/12 "2003-10-10T13:51:26Z")
They spent millions developing a security system that can be defeated by my cat’s ass being on the shift key when I put the disk in? I want to work there, that’s about my caliber of quality! ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172/13 "2003-10-10T15:24:46Z")
And this is from the SunnComm President himself!!! This is right from SunnComms web site- from the CEO no less!!! »[www.sunncomm.com/asktheprez/asktheprez](http://www.sunncomm.com/asktheprez/asktheprez) > [@](#): > > So-called “experts” who grandstand by publishing MediaMax hacks don´t “get it.” They seem to born out of some Messiah complex hell-bent on saving the world from any technological attempt to protect artists and their property. It´s as though they think that music is different from other real property. It isn´t, and the people who subvert the protection that is afforded by MediaMax, no matter how trivial they deem that protection to be, are conspiring to commit theft against the wishes of the artists who created the musical property. > > (grammatical errors are not mine - they’re on the website. This is an exact quote.) Also: installing and executing software on my computer that I’m unaware of? That can be passed on to other users? Sounds like a virus to me. Not good enough, SunnComm. At least you had the good sense to dismiss the lawsuit against the guy who revealed the “workaround.” It’s not like the guy was distributing software to disable your system. He simply showed the world a basic part of Windows. On another board I saw a Photoshopped picture titled “The New Sunncomm Keyboard.” It showed a keyboard with the shift keys removed. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2003, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172/14 "2003-10-10T16:45:26Z")
This “copy-protection software”, does it have a license, or a notification of it being installed? And does it protect just the CD it’s installed from, or all audio CD’s? ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172/15 "2003-10-10T16:50:42Z")
Heh. Who needs an entertainment industry to make you laugh when you’ve got an entertainment industry to laugh at? ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172/16 "2003-10-10T20:18:03Z")
This is freakin’ hilarious. [Another link (MSNBC)](http://www.msnbc.com/news/978433.asp?0cl=cR) about the lawsuit. I don’t see how these morons could possibly have a case. A great many people have auto-run turned off anyway; is SunnComm going to sue them all? And for that matter, if an auto-run feature messes with my operating system, I would think that would be considered malicious hacking – I don’t care what their motives are or how good their intentions! With any luck, the case will be thrown out as frivolous. Now we need to bring a class action lawsuit against SunnComm for their malicious CD’s!! ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172/17 "2003-10-10T21:39:52Z")
It looks like [SunnComm is backing off.](http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2003/10/10/news/8797.shtml) They never actually sued, but just threatened to, according to this article. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172/18 "2003-10-10T21:52:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bouv \* > \*\*I just turn off Auto-Run, so much easier… \*\* Hear that loud knock at your door? That’s the DCMA police! And they want to have a look at your registry!!! :eek: Mine, too. ---
**Author:** ![Sock\_Munkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Sock\_Munkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_Munkey)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2003, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-thatr-was-compllicated-shift-key-breaks-cd-copy-locks/206172/19 "2003-10-11T03:28:22Z")
By the time all this gets settled the music will be public domain.