Philips, the company that, with Sony, co-invented compact disc
technology in 1978, has hit out at record labels that release copy
protected music CDs, according to a report by news agency
Reuters.
Gerry Wirtz, general manager of Philips' copyright office describes
the initial efforts of BMG, Universal and others as "troublesome
and cumbersome," adding that he and his company "don't know what
they're doing."
The anti-copying technology uses deliberate errors in the CDs
which are supposedly inaudible to humans but which will stop the
CDs playing on computers – thereby preventing the ripping of the
CDs for distribution in electronic format over song-swapping
services. A side-effect of the technology is that the CDs cannot be
played in some CD players, not just computers.
According to Reuters, Philips, which controls the Compact Disc
trade mark, is demanding that the record labels warn consumers with
notices on packaging that what they are about to buy is "not a
compact disc, but something different." Philips would also bar
these labels from using the Compact Disc trade mark.
