SunnComm fields complaints from iPod owners over locked CD's

July 13, 2004

GristyMcFisty used our news submit to tell us about an article he spotted over at C|Net concerning SunnComm and how their copy protection scheme is irritating iPod customers. It may also be giving labels pause about what impact it's having on album sales. So, in an effort to modify the current protection scheme, they are making 'sweeping changes', changes that according to this article, will cause problems for Microsoft and the Macrovision folks as well. Nevermind the customer.

SunnComm has received "500 or 600 customer service comments" and they say the vast majority, some 80 percent, have to do with iPod compatibility," The rest of the complaints go something like this: "Why can't I do what I want with my music?" SunnComm assumes many of these are actually iPod complaints as well.

For the past several years, both SunnComm and rival Macrovision have worked to put two different versions of songs on each protected album. The first set of tunes is a locked-down version of the CD's content. The second set consists of digital tracks that can be transferred to a computer or to some portable music devices.

That "second session" has been filled, to date, with songs in Microsoft's Windows Media Audio format. Both companies chose the WMA format because it's supported by virtually every PC on the market, and a large number of different portable players.

The decision, which was never warmly embraced by all the major record labels, appeared to give Microsoft the potential for powerful and profitable inroads into the music business. If songs in its format were to be included on every CD, WMA could go a long way toward becoming a de facto digital music standard.

But the subsequent meteoric rise of the iPod--which does not play Microsoft-formatted music--has forced a change in plans: no more reliance on Microsoft's technology, no more second session and an appeal to Apple for compatibility.

SunnComm and Macrovision each say that the new generations of their technology, due later this summer and early next year, respectively, will let people effortlessly create versions of songs for computers and portable players, in almost the same way people rip CDs to create MP3 files today. Software will be loaded on the music CDs that will help create a new copy-protected file in a form that can be played on an iPod, or on Microsoft-compatible players such as the Rio Karma, or on whatever else a consumer might be using.

Apple, since they are the most popular player of the day, have enough customer clout to turn some heads, to force some changes. But, the article mentions a good point, in that technology is constantly changing and maybe tomorrow another player will have the lead, then what? Read the entire article over at C|Net.

Source: C|Net