How effective is the MediaMax copy protection?
One of the sub-stories in all the Sony DRM mess of the last month with the XCP copy protection was that it was really an ineffective way of preventing copying of music anyway. In other words, you could press shift while inserting the cd to avoid the installer, then other programs could access the cd/allow copying without the software installed, other OS’s could access the disc and rip the tracks. In other words it wasn’t very useful toward it’s objective of preventing copying…
Freedom to tinker has an analysis of the MediaMax DRM today and comes to the conclusion (surprise) that IT doesn’t really do the job well either. You can, press shift while inserting the cd to prevent installation, reboot with the cd in the drive, etc. As long as the MediaMax software is not installed you can still copy tracks, so other OS’s are once again able to copy. (Interestingly the MediaMax install is optional on the Mac.)
I think it’s interesting because it puts a fine point to the idea that it’s a BAD approach to preventing piracy to begin with. (And it brings a ton of security risks along with it.)