AfterDawn: Tech news
AfterDawn > News > Shift-key lawsuit withdrawn

Shift-key lawsuit withdrawn

Written by Jari Ketola @ 12 Oct 2003 1:00 User comments (14)

SunnComm Technologies, Inc. has stepped down from the lawsuit it was planning against a student for revealing how their copy protection can be circumvented.
Alex Halderman released his findings regarding MediaMax CD3 copy protection, and revealed, that it can be simply diverted by disabling Windows' autorun -feature, or just by pushing the shift-key when inserting the CD.

According to SunnComm CEO Peter Jacobs suing Halderman would do little good at this point -- the harm has already been done, and SunnComm doesn't want to scare computer scientists from studying copy-protection technologies in the future.

Source:
Daily Princetonian

<AOL and Real extend their partnership >Pioneer announces an amp with WMA support
Previous Next  

14 user comments

112.10.2003 15:03
loaded
Send private message to this user
Moderator

Interesting to note that the word 'shift' is similar in all but one letter to the word 'shit' hmmmm Paul.

212.10.2003 15:29
Toiletman
Send private message to this user
Senior Member

intresting to note that the word shift is smiliar in all but one letter to the word "sift". But anyway, one lawsuit down, (insert big number here) more to go.

313.10.2003 04:30
alxdotnet
Inactive

They knew they couldn't win. I mean, come on. How long would it have taken some hacker to figure that out. I personally always use shift when inserting any CD I'm going to rip, because I don't want the 'enhanced' content loading while I'm copying the CD.

413.10.2003 09:36
phuocle
Send private message to this user
Junior Member

Actually, I would have liked to see this go to trial and have the company lose its ass. We need something in the case law to support us consumers and show how far companies are taking the DMCA.

513.10.2003 10:23
symon
Send private message to this user
Newbie

What would be really funny is if the record companys that use SunnComm sues them because there anti copying system is crap and no longer work as it should.

613.10.2003 10:23
symon
Send private message to this user
Newbie

What would be really funny is if the record companys that use SunnComm sues them because there anti copying system is crap and no longer work as it should.

713.10.2003 12:14
alxdotnet
Inactive

DMCA seems to go against the innoncent-until-proven-guilty concept. Programs that circumvent copy protection are illegal because people COULD use them to pirate DVDs and CDs. What about the other 99.999% of us who just want to rip a DVD once in a while to play on an old laptop without a DVD drive or something.

813.10.2003 14:32
Toiletman
Send private message to this user
Senior Member

They ignore that fact, that's what they do.

913.10.2003 14:46
Hrtbrkn
Send private message to this user
Newbie

I always disable the "autoplay" feature in Windows..... for data and DVD's...

1013.10.2003 15:21
Praetor
Send private message to this user
Moderator

Aye... that damn autoplay is a pain in the arse.... a good intent ill give them but poor implementation at best.

1113.10.2003 15:47
alxdotnet
Inactive

No reliable copy protection scheme can depend on the secrecy or tricks like that. Did they honestly expect every single person to fall for that? I sure hope not. I'd question their intelligence if they did.

1214.10.2003 08:03
Random69
Inactive

Hmmmm.. Should have sued Microsoft because their software allow circumvention of copy protection... (after all, they designed the shift key to prevent autorun, thereby defeating the copy protection). How far WILL this DMCA crao go?

1314.10.2003 10:32
alxdotnet
Inactive

Good point Random69. DMCA is out of control. We need a case similar to Roe vs. Wade to set a much more favorable precedent.

1422.6.2004 17:55
PARALLAXX
Inactive

MediaMax copy protection...What is the driver name and where is it located(if you don't hit the shift key first that is...)?

Comments have been disabled for this article.

Latest news

YouTube Premium starts showing ads to subscribers YouTube Premium starts showing ads to subscribers (13 Nov 2024 3:09)
For years, YouTube Premium has been marketed as a way to enjoy an ad-free YouTube experience. But apparently, that is no longer the case, as Premium subscribers are now starting to see ads on the platform.
Android 16 will launch sooner than expected Android 16 will launch sooner than expected (01 Nov 2024 6:45)
Google announced that upcoming Android 16 will break the traditional once-a-year cycle of major Android launches. Next Android is poised to launch in Q2 of 2025, so Android 16 should ship before end of June, 2025.
Winamp ends its open source project that wasn't really open source Winamp ends its "open source" project that wasn't really open source (20 Oct 2024 11:12)
Less than a month after the legendary MP3 player Winamp made its source code public, the company has made a sudden U-turn and removed its code from distribution.
2 user comments
Winamp released its source code - but didn't go open source Winamp released its source code - but didn't go open source (25 Sep 2024 12:38)
The source code of Winamp has now been officially released. However, it hasn't become a pure open-source project, as its licensing terms prohibit the creation of new, different versions.
Does your phone rattle? Here's why it happens Does your phone rattle? Here's why it happens (25 Aug 2024 8:30)
When you shake your phone and hear a light rattle, clatter, or jingle, it's likely not broken. The culprit is probably the optical image stabilization (OIS) system in your phone's camera, meaning everything is functioning as it should.
2 user comments

Reviews

Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra review - obstacle avoidance doesn't work as it should, otherwise almost perfect robot vacuum Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra review - obstacle avoidance doesn't work as it should, otherwise almost perfect robot vacuum
We put the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra through a very, very long review process. The $1800 mopping robot vacuum is almost perfect, but its obstacle avoidance was surprisingly bad, considering the price - and compared to its competitors.
Sharge x OnePlus Pouch review: Beautiful power bank that supports SuperVOOC charging Sharge x OnePlus Pouch review: Beautiful power bank that supports SuperVOOC charging
In our review, we take a look at Sharge's power bank that supports OnePlus SuperVOOC quick charging technology as well as standard USB PD charging. It has small design flaws, but despite those, the Pouch is very nice product.
1 user comment
Roomba Combo j7+ review - Clever trick allows robot vacuum finally to tackle home with rugs and carpets Roomba Combo j7+ review - Clever trick allows robot vacuum finally to tackle home with rugs and carpets
Roomba Combo j7+ is the very first Roomba model to combine robot vacuum with mopping features. And Roomba Combo j7+ does all that with a very clever trick, which tackles the problem with mopping and carpets. But is it any good? We found out.

Guides

What happens if you don't update Android? What happens if you don't update Android?
Sometimes it can be tempting to avoid updating to a new Android version. What happens if you decide to delay major updates to the OS?
Guide: Phone battery drains quickly - how to fix (iPhone / Android) Guide: Phone battery drains quickly - how to fix (iPhone / Android)
In this guide, we go through the most typical reasons for rapid battery drain with phones, and look at potential reasons or solutions.
Does your phone rattle? Here's why it happens Does your phone rattle? Here's why it happens
When you shake your phone and hear a light rattle, clatter, or jingle, it's likely not broken. The culprit is probably the optical image stabilization (OIS) system in your phone's camera, meaning everything is functioning as it should.
2 user comments
What IP rating for dust and water resistance means What IP rating for dust and water resistance means
An IP classification (such as IP68) is given to mobile phones, Bluetooth speakers, and other devices, but what do these classifications mean?
1 user comment
Guide: Is Your Wi-Fi Sluggish or Slow? Here's How to Fix Guide: Is Your Wi-Fi Sluggish or Slow? Here's How to Fix
Do you have problems with you Wi-Fi? Slow connection or is it cutting off constantly? This guide aims to remedy these problems.
1 user comment

News archive

Sections:

Follow us:

© 1999-2024 AfterDawn Oy. All rights reserved
Back to Top ⇧
AfterDawn is powered by Powered by UpCloud