Morpheus' New Anti-Piracy Move

LONDON -- Morpheus MusicCity, a service that allows users to trade copyrighted songs and films, has quietly added an anti-piracy feature to its site, its first move to protect some artists from unlawful downloads of their music.

Beginning in April, Streamcast Networks, the U.S. company that operates the popular site, will add technology to erase a downloaded song from a computer after the user listens to it a certain number of times.

But it will apply the anti-piracy measure only to benefit artists who do business with Morpheus, as it seeks to become a major venue to promote lesser-known, unsigned acts. Users would sample songs but ultimately would have to buy them.

"For the first time, artists, publishers, labels and music rights associations can take advantage of technology instead of technology taking advantage of them," reads a statement on the Morpheus website.

The widespread piracy of copyright-protected materials on the Internet has become a huge concern for media and software companies. The firms are intent on shutting down the activity at its source, trying to force sites such as Morpheus to stop its users from unauthorized trading.

Last summer, the music labels managed to shut down the original song-swapping favorite Napster, only to find a host of new players, including Morpheus, Kazaa and Grokster, emerge as even more powerful replacements.

The major labels, including Universal Music, Sony Music, Warner Music, EMI and Bertelsmann's BMG, are keen to slow piracy to protect their own nascent music download businesses.

Technologically superior to Napster, the new generation of file-trading sites, claiming millions of users, traffic in all variety of copyright-protected materials, from video games to movies and music.

Music labels and Hollywood studios have cracked down on these sites too, filing a lawsuit to stop the rampant illegal trading that they claim is costing them tens, perhaps hundreds, of millions of dollars in lost business.

Morpheus said it will invite artists to provide music samples to the service.

"As we roll out this new way of distributing content over the Internet, you will discover how easy it is to get your music out to millions of people without selling your soul to the bank," the site says in trying to entice artist participation.

But it hasn't silenced the critics who maintain the company is still flouting copyright law by facilitating trade in protected pieces.

Elsewhere on the service, users will still be able to swap a variety of copyright-protected materials that are already circulating on the network, from Kylie Minogue singles to digital copies of Harry Potter books.

"I am not at all impressed. I'm not convinced they are heading down the road of legitimacy," said Bruce Ward, technical director for London-based NetPD, a firm that monitors file-swapping activities on behalf of artists and record labels.

The latest move by Morpheus, he pointed out, is reminiscent of a step Napster took on the eve of going to court last year.

At the time, Napster struck a deal to have the work of independent artists featured on its service, while still allowing users to swap the more popular signed acts with impunity. The site shut down before the new service had a chance to take off.

Copyright © 2001 Reuters Limited.

http://www.wired.com/news/mp3/0,1285,51082,00.html

 

This seems fair, I will have to investigate it farther, Because they let all users no up front, and aren't going to sneak spyware in at a later date, and steal e-mail addresses.

Now if one moves a mp3 out of Morpheus' directory, and Morpheus still deletes it, I will be pissed, cause they have no rights other than in their own directory.

 

Really?

How do we know they're not going to do any of that?

Please feel free to keep us informed of the conclusions of your investigations - and welcome to the forum! (You really should register, Vamp - of all the people I can think of, I'd really hate to see someone hijack your nic). Pete

 

Where there is a will there is a way IM sure there will be a hack way to disable that Bs.

IM sorry but I think there going to far by going in to my private property and deleting my stuff.

As soon as morpheus does that they will be 3 other replacements for it lol so they will die like napster.

IM sorry but mp3 and SwF and MPEG and AVI for computers shouldn't be copyright protected that if you distributed it freely at no cost or charge it should not be illegal.

The movie and music business is just that movie and music meaning that movies that are intended for video tape or dvd was the legal format for such a product meaning that you could not make video and dvd copy's of a movie and sale them.

Mp3 is not the original format of a music CD and is specifically made for music devices intended on playing there CD format.

When does a creation become something else this country was built on ideals and the improvement on products to the consumer or general population?

How many TV company's and dvd and VCR are there?

There is not one but many all with different features and unlike or different from one another so they don't end up suing each other.

The Internet was intended to be a free world when an individual creates a new format for something it becomes a new creation like a new piece of software no longer the same and has been manipulated.

Remember the free information act I believe this governs this.

Only thing that should be copy right protected on the net is software and that's it.

Pictures mp3,avi,mpeg,swf formatted things intended to be used for computer and private purposes that are distributed freely without charge should not be illegal.

When Does copyright infringement happen when you don't Owen the dvd or software license or music CD and you convert computer formatted mp3 and MPEG to real music CDs and dvd's to be played on actual CD players and dvd player machines for home entertainment use?

What should be illegal is reformatting software or hardware that allows you to pirate and convert things in this manner there going after the wrong people?

If they want to screw people they should go after CD burner company's and easy creator 5 company's or similar that allow you to reformat computer mp3 and mpg to be played on home intertainement devices like dvd players and CD players.

 

I'm sure there could be ways to render these files unplayable after a certain number of times played rather than delete them which is totally unacceptable as i would consider this break and entry.

 

This is so similar to the TDS-3, method, I don't understand, why supporters of the method, on one program is against it on another one.

Pete I was at one time a member, but deleted that membership,I don't support the views of most members, and don't want to be confused as one. Over and over more and more members, refuse to accept, that people have a right to disagree, and a person's disagreement, should never be considered, as a criminal act. Or that the person disagreeing, is only doing so to cover up a crime, This very disappointing, coming from you Pete.

 

On a related note, anyone heard of the system that the game Operation Flashpoint purports to use? They call it FADE and (according to the game and Codemasters, the makers) any counterfeit copy of the game will have its gameplay degraded until it is unplayable. It sounds a little too amazing to be true.. as in how would the FADE program know when to initiate and mess up the game... things like that... But I figure maybe someone around here has heard of it?

 

well for there sake I hope it never makes a mistake, but I commend their initiative. Now the "privacy cops" can jump all over that one too.

 

Already on it, I have been using it since it first release if they make a mistake I will glady let them know.

 

Why would you wait for an error? Did you give all products that privilege? The possibility of an error was enough to blow the whistle on other products.

There is some merrit in this, the possibility of error quite often warrants investigation. So I ask you again, why wait for an error when you could just start right now? (somewhere please, this is not a video game forum)

 

Detox,   Where did you find out about that?   Do you have a link?

 

well I found out about it when I installed Operation Flashpoint... a screen shows up warning you about it every time you start the game... but I can't seem to find any reference to it on the sites of the makers...

http://www.bistudio.com/


or the publishers...


http://www.codemasters.com/redirect/redirect.php?url=/flashpoint/front.htm

but I'm still looking :-/

 

AH-HA! here's mention, but ever so little....


http://www.codemasters.com/redirect/redirect.php?url=/flashpoint/front.htm


in the last line of "WHY IS IT WRONG"

but they sure seem to be rather tightlipped about details.. either because they're smart or because it's a bluff.. or both!

 

I found a bit more information, here is the link.

http://www.codemasters.com/news/displayarticles.php?showarticle=218

Wow..  That just blows my mind.

ps - Sorry for hijacking the thread.   I'm done.   Thanks Detox!

 

Hey no problem, and I think we're still decently in the subject here ;-)

ANyway the article you sent means they have certainly talked about it in public before, but Operation Flashpoint is a PC game... So this isn't playstation stuff only, just wanted to be sure that was clear  

From the looks of that link you gave, it must be something real.

 

mrblaze - You need to re-think posting suggestions like that here. Pete

 

Getting back to the main point of this thread  ,

Am I wrong in assuming this technology will only apply to the songs of artists who work through the new "musiccity" service to distribute and sell their work? If so, I don't see how the program deleting or disabling those files (and no others) after a certain period of time could be a concern - in fact, I believe the action is in the best interests of MusicCity if they want to "evade" the recording industry's "wrath".  

 

LOL WHAT I DO I OFFERD A THEROITALCY SOLUTION AND MY OPNIONE.

OPPS SORRY FOR CAPS PLUS OHHHHHHHHH WAIT LOL SO I WAS RIGHT IS THAT WHAT YOU ARE AFFRAID OFF CAUSE HONESTLY I DONT KNOW IF IT WOULD WORK IT WAS ONLY A THEORY LOL.


uggggggggggghhhhhhhh caps so is my theory actualy right would that work you think.

or should i post this in tenfoward would be better

 

mrblaze - Your 'theory', as you choose to call it, outlined a possible method of 'cracking' a projected copy-write protection measure.

Do not post cracking methods (theoretical or otherwise) anywhere on this board.

Thank you. Pete