Copy protection

As a copy-protection or copy protection is referred to measures to prevent the duplication of data.

An absolute copy protection is generally not possible, because the disk has to be readable for a read or player. It is not to prevent the read from the playback data is stored on a different disk. A copy is therefore effective only for certain readers, but does not protect the data against malicious readers or readers from other manufacturers. In place of the reader and software or firmware can occur in digital data.

  • 2.1 Criticism of the Law
  • 2.2 Disadvantages of Audio CDs
  • 2.3 Disadvantages of software

Legal

Germany

According to the German copyright law, it is forbidden since September 13, 2003 to circumvent " effective technological measures for protection of a protected under this law work or any other protected under this Act the Work " (§ 95a, Section 1 of the German Copyright Act ). The production and proliferation of programs and other tools that serve to bypass, are prohibited ( § 95a para 3 of the Copyright Act ). violations that do not happen to own private use, can be used as criminal offenses ( § 108b of the German Copyright Act ) or offenses ( § 111a of the Copyright Act ) be traceable.

When protection is "effective" despite the legal definition in § 95a para 2 of the Copyright Act among lawyers disputed. Basically, however, mechanisms to allow encryption of any kind is, they are still so easy to decipher, use simply as effectively defined (see those same paragraph in the Copyright Act).

This prohibition applies one especially for video and audio recording and not in accordance with § 69a para 5 of the Copyright Act for computer programs. According to § 69d of the Copyright Act there has the legitimate user rather under certain conditions entitled to a copy of permit.

After ( § 95d of the Copyright Act ) technically protected works be clearly marked with information to identify on the characteristics of the technical protection. The law says (January 2009) with work in the case of CD and similar image and sound reproduction apparently the piece and its retail packaging. Through information on the specifications of the technical protection of the owner or purchaser can recognize which use technology to be as affected. Only by checking this impairment he may possibly recognize those technical protection he may may not circumvent.

Where the use of technology to the goods is set only as disability, possibly the binding of the buyer is restricted, such as the right to challenge the purchase agreement due to mistakes.

The Federal Constitutional Court has a constitutional complaint, 95a ff directed against the new provisions of the Copyright Act §, not accepted for formal reasons for the decision and initially referred to the exhaustion of remedies.

Switzerland

The draft of the new copyright law Copyright Act of Switzerland is noted that the circumvention of copy protection is to be a criminal offense if they " willfully and unlawfully " be done. Since the creation of private copies are permitted or remains legally, the manufacturer of private copies do not need to worry about. Likewise, it will remain unpunished is to write software to bypass copy protection and to disseminate if it is intended primarily for lawful making copies. In the notes to the draft is spoken openly of that copy protection measures constitutes a " self-help" the author. Likewise, to be levied on the purchase blank media according to new URG control - so that the perpetrators deserve to private copies. On one hand, copy protection measures are protected by criminal law and on the other hand suffers, who perceives the right to create private copies, through the " Payment" financial loss. See also the opinion of the IFPI on the talk page.

Austria

In Austria, in the new version of copyright from 2003 also a nebulous control the 'copy for private use "is introduced. How far is this right, is not yet clarified in court.

USA

With the Audio Home Recording Act ( AHRA ), a law was created in 1992, the manufacture and import of equipment prohibits that bypass the copy protection.

In addition, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ( DMCA) was adopted in 1998. It criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or services that access restrictions, such as Digital Rights Management (DRM ) copy-protected works deal (ie " copy protection crack" ), even if this means the copyright itself is not injured.

Criticism and disadvantages

Criticism of the law

Due to the German copyright law, the legal possibility of a private copy is largely restricted, as it allows the manufacturer of a work in principle sufficient to provide it with a simple, technically invalid, but effective under the law of copy protection. Even with dubious protection procedures, actions of the consumer be relevant potentially criminal, because a copy of currently legal mechanisms (hardware and software) will be bypassed without passive or active intervention, such as in the last version of the Cactus Data Shield which, although as described below, the data from an audio CD corrupted ( by means of false error correction values ​​), but the reading of the technical equipment of the consumer, which may possibly deal with it per se, inhibits dependent in any way.

Also remains unclear how the law justifies the obvious illogic, as there may be copies of copyrighted works that have a supposedly effective protection mechanism. Furthermore, the law prohibits the purchase, sale and manufacture of techniques used to circumvent copy protection measures ( § 95a para 3 of the Copyright Act ), but not the ownership.

Disadvantages of Audio CDs

The simple copy by ( defined by law to be effective ) encryption is not possible with audio CDs, because the players do not have a decryption function. Instead intentionally recording certain errors must be inserted into the CD.

Those who purchased a " copy-protected ", that is intentionally with errors provided audio CD in a legal manner, must, if they enable on some CD -ROM drives available, optional correction functions or can be activated and thus also on lawful copying dispense take compared to the error-free copy of the following disadvantages:

  • The legally obtained recordings can not play anywhere. For car stereos, DVD players and even hi-fi reproduction can be disrupted or impossible.
  • Playback on a computer is very limited. Often the audio CD can not be played - or just a special software with reduced quality. This software usually works only with the time of publication current versions of Microsoft Windows, users of other operating systems and earlier or later ( not compatible ) versions of Windows are often left outside before.
  • There are these " copy protection " - or deliberate error techniques tendencies to change the user's Windows PC to its disadvantage, so that eg the user monitors in his listening habits, or the function of the PC is limited, as in ( Contribute only by the user by activating / Enables Let the MS Windows autostart function effectively ) rootkit " copy protection " XCP Sony BMG, or the alpha - DVD " copy protection " for DVDs.
  • Converting a " copy-protected " or intentionally defective CD to another music format (such as mp3 to hear the purchased CD on an mp3 player ) is, or the making of a private copy by using the in some CD -ROM existing drives, optional correction functions difficult or impossible. However it is technically and legally easy to copy these faulty audio CDs legally, either by the optional, non-standard correction functions simply not activated or deactivated, as by using software that does not care about these correction functions, or by simply using a CD -ROM drive that does not offer these optional correction functions.
  • Some " copy protection " - that is, Error techniques work with false error correction values ​​( see examples), this can lead to faster rendering errors with slightly scratched CDs with active correction function.
  • The general possibility of an audio CD in a ( non-amplified ) analog signal and to bring back in an unprotected digital format from there, can not be prevented. At very high quality appliances, a loss of quality is no longer audible.

So-called " copy-protected " actually faulty discs do not conform to the Philips in the so-called Red Book specified Compact Disc Digital Audio ( CD -DA) standard. Thus, they are not standards-compliant audio CD and may not be referred to as such.

Disadvantages in software

Even buyers of software with copy protection can expect when using with disadvantages.

  • Modern copy protection methods, such as StarForce engage very deeply into the operating system. For example, system drivers are installed that allow access to ring 0 level. About the installation of such system driver is not sufficiently informed by the manufacturer. This can Lead to incompatibilities between system drivers
  • Lead to security breaches and / or system crashes due to faulty code

However, it should be bypassed legally for computer programs of copy protection according to § 69a of the German Copyright Act.

Due to the problems that caused the " copy protection " is the part of the consumer by a "click to protect " or " consumer protection", dramatic spoken of a " purchase protection " - Purchase protection, among other reasons, because unlicensed copies can often be easier to handle about can thereby easily transfer music to portable players, and games can be exploited, having to insert the original disk each time.

Examples

  • DIN standards were published earlier on colored paper that made the copy then usual black-and- white copiers by the choice of font and background color impossible. For computer games like Zak McKracken protected code tables were used in the same way - which were of course soon handwritten copied and distributed by fans.
  • To protect computer games in the early 1980s, the so-called Lenslok method was used. These were each a unique polished plastic lens that had to keep the program users from the screen in order to read them protection code from there can. Without the lens of the code on the screen was unreadable.
  • For audio CDs with deliberate mistakes in data format are incorporated, bringing the audio CD standard is violated, represented only a few, mainly in the service of the music industry standing advocates the view that this ever handle to an effective copy. In general, these errors from standard CD players are ignored, since they only interpret certain data on the CD ( the so-called Red Book standard ). Some CD- ROM drives can, however, try to interpret the erroneous data (or " correct " to ), which can lead to error messages and crashes. For these drives, the use of these correction functions can cause with copy-protected CDs even increased tool wear. Many car radios and portable CD players are based on the (very inexpensive ) CD- ROM technology and are, therefore, if the ( optional and non-standard ) correction functions of the drives used are activated also affected.
  • Data is encrypted on disk, and the key is passed only to authorized parties, such as equipment manufacturers. The manufacturer's drives can then decrypt the data, but can be controlled only with authorized software. So to be denied media players access to the data. This is not a copy, because the data is still readable and thus copied. (Example: CSS for DVD )
  • HDMI and DVI Male HD -ready devices already offer point-to- point encryption with HDCP, which cooperates with the AACS copy protection for HD media. This is a Recording of the data stream from the source are suppressed for output medium. In connection, the broadcast can be mentioned flag, may be limited by the HD recording.
  • Video Encoded Invisible Light is designed to prevent the filming of monitors.
  • TV channels can provide the broadcast program with a copy protection signal, so that broadcasts can not be recorded by DVD and HD recorders. Instead of the recorded program can be seen with reference to the copy on the storage medium only an error message.

Protection system for CDs / DVDs

  • SecuROM - Copy Protection for CD and DVD
  • SafeDisc - Copy Protection for CD and DVD
  • Star Force - Copy Protection for Windows programs
  • Tagès - Copy Protection for CD and DVD
  • Cactus Data Shield - Copy Protection for CD
  • Protect CD - Copy Protection for CD -ROM ( for example, Ankh )
  • WTM CD Protect - Copy Protection for CD
  • WTM Copy Protection - copy protection for CDs, DVDs and USB memory sticks
  • Macrovision - Copy protection for video (VHS and DVD)
  • Dongle for software, by hardware
  • Copy Generation Management System ( CGMS ) and the Serial Copy Management System ( SCMS ) are mechanisms that allow exactly one generation of copies
  • DVD - Movie -PROTECT - Copy protection for DVD video
  • ARccOS - Copy protection for DVD video

Note: The content used on many commercial video DVDs Scramble System (CSS ) is not an actual copy. Rather, it is an encryption method that is (including copies) restrict the playback of video contents on unlicensed players and of unlicensed media. Copying the data itself can not prevent but CSS.

Protection system for floppy disks

  • Laser Hole - a burned hole makes on certain blocks for spelling mistakes, on which the medium is examined by a write access followed by a read access of the software.
  • Different track formatting - one or more tracks have been with a different block size / sectorization formatted.
  • About Formatting - The disks have been described over the specified edge of the target system also, so it additional tracks were created.
  • Non -standard bit patterns - block start and / or end were marked by persons other than provided for this bit pattern, or there were not foreseen bit pattern for the payload used.
  • Nonstandard checksum - checksum values ​​were calculated differently than usual, so that is detected in normal reading for read errors due to incorrect checksum.
  • Half and quarter marks - Data were two ( then unused ) tracks deposited between the normal positions.
  • Spiral tracks - tracks were spirally partly generated as normal tracks, partly as half and quarter marks. Reading the head must be moved exactly at the right moment, otherwise the data is unreadable.
  • About width tracks - The read head is moved back and forth while reading between two tracks. Only when the tracks have been produced by a particular extra-wide print head, it is still be readable during this movement.

The methods were aimed at that either occurred Error reading using the operating system or the information could be read only incomplete or that an original disk is detectable using statistically behavioral problems, such as with fuzzy bits. To identify the originals and to complete reading the data a direct programming of the controller was needed. Since at least the boot sector had to remain unprotected, to allow use of the program at all, bypassing the protection by thinking skills Understand and appropriately changing the other sequences was always possible, but in some cases very costly.

Programs to bypass the copy protection

Voidable Federal Constitutional Court of Germany Verfassungsbeschwerde Extended Copy Protection Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders CD-ROM Content Scramble System Digital Visual Interface High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection Advanced Access Content System Ankh (video game) ARccOS Protection Alcohol 120% Handelsblatt
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