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Ripping a copy protected CD?


Narcosynthesis

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Before I start, I am posting this with only legal intentions to actually get some use from a CD I legally own. So sorry if it sounds like I have bad intentions or want to pass on naughty information - if anyone would prefer to pm me any help instead of posting it publically I would be most grateful.

 

Anyway...

 

I bought an album today (We are Scientists 'With Love and Squalor' if anyone is wandering) and all was fine until I tried to rip it to my computer. I have a Sony walkman (so yes, I am limited to the silly sony format and using sonicstage, but that dosen't bother me) and do most of my listening that way when I am outwith my home. The problem being that the album has copy protection on it, which stops me from recording it normally, and all my other attempts (by using freerip and audiograbber - two programmes I know and which have worked well in the past for ripping cds) resulted in a garbled mess of noise. The only concession they did make was to let you save a backup copy, but only in wma format (with a few quality settings up to lossless) or cd, which are both still protected so get me no further on.

 

I would rather be able to listen to the album, so any ideas on a way to get past the copy protection to actually let me be able to use the cd (for which I paid for the privilege)?

 

I do wander what the point in this is. All this format does is stop the genuine legal users like me (who buy all their music on cd, and makes a point of having bought and owning the music I listen to) from listening to the music, while the real pirates who are churning out copies and actually posing some problem to the industry will have no doubt found a way past it shortly after getting their hands on the cd...

 

Any ideas?

 

David

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Looks like you'll need to hold the SHIFT key down when inserting the CD into a Windows computer. Alternatively, you can disable Autorun somewhere. What is happening is the CD is triggering an Autorun which kicks off the copy protection on the CD. I read you can then use CDEX to copy this CD (this must be some kind of program obviously).

 

It seems like you've installed whatever software came on the CD, otherwise you wouldn't have gotten to the protected WMA content. It's quite possible you won't be able to easily uninstall this software which means you may not be able to easily copy your CD. It may take a wipe / reinstall of Windows to fix this.

 

If you know someone who has a Mac, try ripping the CD in OS X. This could work. One of the sites I checked said EMI is no longer using copy protection (looks like this CD was put out by EMI).

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You could always just download it.
;)


Really though, if you own it, and want it in a digital format that they're being bastards about, why let them get you down?

 

The worst part is, from what I read while searching on this is, the album is currently sold without copy protection. Supposedly when EMI went DRM free with electronic music sales they also removed copy protection from their CDs.

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The worst part is, from what I read while searching on this is, the album is currently sold without copy protection. Supposedly when EMI went DRM free with electronic music sales they also removed copy protection from their CDs.

 

Jerks.

 

You could just try to return it for a different copy.

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Tried a couple of different programmes for ripping it now, which all result in either a 'cannot copy protected stuff' type message (sonicstage, itunes). Or give me a garbled jumpy mess of music (EAC, freerip, audiograbber)

 

Sadly I wasn't paying enough attention when I stuck the cd in, and ok'ed the first message (daydreaming and thinking of the usual 'what would you like to do with this cd' message windows gives you) and was too late in catching it :s

 

I would download it or something, except for a complete lack of knowledge or sites to get stuff at (since I make a point of avoiding it normally)

 

A few more attempts to get it off the cd in some working format for now. and off back to the shop on monday for a protectionless replacement/refund.

 

It does still baffle me why they ever bothered with this stuff, the only people it annoys are the 'nice' people like me who try and stay on the 'right' side, the ones who are profiting from piracy and so on work around any protection within seconds (at the very least you have to be able to play it on a cd player, and can then record the output...)

 

Cheers for the help so far.

 

David

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Download Real Player and rip it to RM/AAC format. Most copy protection is aimed at mp3/wma format. I've done this many times.

 

 

I was trying to keep away from any lossy format until I have to import it into sonicstage (which is done at 256kbs atrac3+) and in any case, every programme I have tried so far has just given me garbled noise (including the apparently recommended ones that work for everyone else) or just refused to work with the (ripped through the wee included software) wma versions.

 

Oh well, bollocks to that album for now...

 

David

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I was trying to keep away from any lossy format until I have to import it into sonicstage (which is done at 256kbs atrac3+) and in any case, every programme I have tried so far has just given me garbled noise (including the apparently recommended ones that work for everyone else) or just refused to work with the (ripped through the wee included software) wma versions.


Oh well, bollocks to that album for now...


David

Don't forget to write the band and tell them what you think of this technological wonder.

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I was trying to keep away from any lossy format until I have to import it into sonicstage (which is done at 256kbs atrac3+) and in any case, every programme I have tried so far has just given me garbled noise (including the apparently recommended ones that work for everyone else) or just refused to work with the (ripped through the wee included software) wma versions.


Oh well, bollocks to that album for now...


David

 

 

This is what I think the problem is. You still have the software from the CD installed on your computer. This software probably has a driver that is keeping the data from being read correctly when you put this CD look alike into your computer.

 

This is why I suggested trying a different computer. Since this stuff is usually aimed at PCs (Macs don't auto-run optical media, and most of this stuff is PC only) if you know someone who owns a Mac, try ripping it on their computer. iTunes can rip to lossless formats (AIFF, WAV, AAC Lossless), just set the file type in Preferences -> Advanced -> Importing before ripping the CD.

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Make the backup with lossless WMA's, the copy protection is easily removed from those.

FairUse4WM might work, depending on what protection is installed.

Google the stream-recorder forum for instructions. (I'm not sure if it's legal to post the link here)

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fairuse4wm seems to have done the trick perfectly - removed the protection on the lossless wma I was able to rip from the cd (via the wee software that loads to let you 'control' the music when you stick it in a drive) which I could then convert into something useful to me. Fantastic.

 

I would email the band, but looking at their forum they have already gotten enough of that... (plus messages from the band about how annoyed they were when they found out about it being protected)

 

Cheers for all the help

 

David

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