h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm having problems ripping copy-protected CDs to my new laptop. I'm ripping the normal CDs as mp3s, but this doesn't work at all with the protected ones. I tried ripping them as WMAs (normal and variable bit rate) which works, but when I transfer them to my mp3 player they won't play. Even though I have an Archos gmini which is compatible with WMAs.

I'm using Windows Media Player. I presume the other ripping programmes are better, but my broadband isn't connected yet so I can't download any.

Any suggestions?

Try going to tools -> options -> rip music and ensure that copy protection is unchecked.

Are you transferring to the device using media player?

You're bound to have problems copying copy procected CDs, the name itself should be enough to tell you that.

The reason the WMA files will not play on your Gmini is because Media Player applies the a similar Digital Rights Management licence on the encoded audio to the one on the CD. Your player may not be able to play DRM protected WMA files.

There are a few ways to get round DRM, all of which are dubious from a legal point of view and can suffer from degraded quality (like when in the old days when people would connect the "headphone" socket on one tape deck to the "microphone" socket on another).

I know this going to sound bizarre, however, using a wipe-awayable felt tip pen on the outer edge of the cd sometimes works for me

Thanks for your replies.

Not him - no, I'm just dragging and dropping with Windows Explorer. I'll check on your other suggestion.

Croz - the spec suggests that the Archos XS202s does play protected WMA files. A review on cnet says so anyway. Any links to where I can find information on getting round DRM?!

Magwitch - that's just silly! But if all else fails ............. !

In that case I'd certainly do it through Windows media player. It shoould work then.

That's a whole other problem! In WMP the folder names aren't appearing - just "Unknown artist" and "Unknown album".

I'm presuming it's because I'm not connected to the internet yet and it can't "find album information" when I'm ripping.

In order to play DRM protected WMA files you've got to copy them to the player using the program that protected them, in this case Media Player.

As for circumventing DRM, I suggest searching the web. Like I said it's illegal so you'll probably have to look in some of the more "suspect" parts of the web. Can't help you more than that I'm afraid.

You can edit them manually, before you copy them to the device.

If I copy them to the player using WMP then they'll come up as "Unknown" on the player's library. But only 4 or 5 from my collection are protected I think, so that won't be a problem. Sorted!



Interesting, I was reading about copy protected CDs being recalled and replaced by Sony there. I presume this is the problem I'm having. Seems you were spot on with your felt tip solution too Magwitch! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Sony_CD_copy_protection_controversy#Prevention

I'm not as daft as I look, you know

'Interesting, I was reading about copy protected CDs being recalled and replaced by Sony there.'

However, that's not because of the copy protection per se, but because of what their particular implementation does to one's computer.

Is circumventing DRM illegal? Its all a bit confusing and differs from place to place, but I thought you were allowed a personal copy under the terms 'fair use'? Or does this only apply to software?

Half the time DRM itself is illegal. Circumventing it isn't. Copying CDs is under most circumstances.

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1988/Ukpga_19880048_en_21.htm#mdiv296

<< 296.—(1) This section applies where copies of a copyright work are issued to the public, by or with the licence of the copyright owner, in an electronic form which is copy-protected.

(2) The person issuing the copies to the public has the same rights against a person who, knowing or having reason to believe that it will be used to make infringing copies—

(a) makes, imports, sells or lets for hire, offers or exposes for sale or hire, or advertises for sale or hire, any device or means specifically designed or adapted to circumvent the form of copy-protection employed, or

(b) publishes information intended to enable or assist persons to circumvent that form of copy-protection,

as a copyright owner has in respect of an infringement of copyright.

(3) Further, he has the same rights under section 99 or 100 (delivery up or seizure of certain articles) in relation to any such device or means which a person has in his possession, custody or control with the intention that it should be used to make infringing copies of copyright works, as a copyright owner has in relation to an infringing copy.

(4) References in this section to copy-protection include any device or means intended to prevent or restrict copying of a work or to impair the quality of copies made. >>

Treaty obligations under Article 11 of http://www.wipo.int/documents/en/diplconf/distrib/94dc.htm , apparently.

<< Article 11

Obligations concerning Technological Measures

Contracting Parties shall provide adequate legal protection and effective legal remedies against the circumvention of effective technological measures that are used by authors in connection with the exercise of their rights under this Treaty or the Berne Convention and that restrict acts, in respect of their works, which are not authorized by the authors concerned or permitted by law.

Article 12

Obligations concerning Rights Management Information

(1) Contracting Parties shall provide adequate and effective legal remedies against any person knowingly performing any of the following acts knowing, or with respect to civil remedies having reasonable grounds to know, that it will induce, enable, facilitate or conceal an infringement of any right covered by this Treaty or the Berne Convention:

(i) to remove or alter any electronic rights management information without authority;

(ii) to distribute, import for distribution, broadcast or communicate to the public, without authority, works or copies of works knowing that electronic rights management information has been removed or altered without authority.

(2) As used in this Article, “rights management information” means information which identifies the work, the author of the work, the owner of any right in the work, or information about the terms and conditions of use of the work, and any numbers or codes that represent such information, when any of these items of information is attached to a copy of a work or appears in connection with the communication of a work to the public. >>

oh yes, I'm sick of trying to get perfectly flippin' expensive CDs onto our mp3 player

The music industry really are a bunch of eejits - they're moaining that online (paid for and legal) downloads are stunting the sale of CDs, but if I want to listen to something on my mp3 player I'm going to find an artist who records for a company that doesn't try to make me pay twice.


(and don't get me onto playing some copy protected CDs on my car CD player )

Tried all of the above (apart from the felt tip pen thing, not brave enough!) with no joy. There's a double "click" every ten seconds on the albums I transferred to the mp3 player. More fiddling needed I think.

Try the felt tip thing, if you use one that can wipe off a white board it won't do any harm to the CD you can just wash it away!*

Honestly I've used it several times. However, as I alluded to in my previous post, it doesn't always work!

*please use the usual precautions you would when washing a CD that has fingermarks/dust/Farleys rusk on it! ie wipe from centre of disc to outer edges**

**or, as in my case, wash the blighter with washing-up liquid and dry any-old-how with a piece of kitchen roll

It's not the CD I'm worried about, it's the drive!

Let the ink dry before you put it in the drive!