The music industry is trying to fight the proliferation of MP3s by adding copy protection to some new CDs. The copy protection works by adding a corrupt data track that audio CD players ignore, but CD-ROM drives attempt to interpret (iMacs supposedly freeze up and need to be repaired afterwards).
How does a cash-paying music fan circumvent this copy protection so that the music industry doesn't constantly hose a computer or two? By covering the corrupt data track with a post-it note, magic marker, nail polish, or even electrical tape. What does the DCMA say about this? Here's an observation from lwn.net:
It will be interesting to see how the entertainment industry responds to this one. The industry and the U.S. courts have been very clear on their position: a device which circumvents protection schemes is illegal under the DMCA, regardless of any legitimate uses it may have. The industry, it seems, must either (1) take the marker manufacturers to court, or (2) admit that, perhaps, some tools capable of circumvention might have uses that don't involve letting pirates take over the world. Which will it be?Let's see who is more powerful in the US: the music industry, or a handful of people who use nail polish, electrical tape or magic markers.
