Scientists Discover New Method to Uncover Bootleg CDs
{{A new technique proposed by the Department of Optics at University of Granada details a means to identify whether a CD has been recorded using a method different to the process used in the industrial production of CDs and thus, differentiate between the real thing and bootleg.}}
The idea is that the light diffraction from the surface of a real CD is different to what you’d get with a fake. Information on the study will appear in the American Journal of Physics the team from the University of Granada, which has filed a patent application.
One of the biggest problems with CDs was the rate at which people were burning them. Back in the day you could buy an album and then burn ten copies for your family and friends. 11 people get the CD and the record companies only got the profit for one purchase.
With the introduction of MP3 players, sales of CDs plummeted. No one wanted to buy CDs when they could just as easily get the same thing online (a lot of the time for free) and not have to carry around anything but their music player when they wanted to listen to music.
That said, that hasn’t stopped people making bootleg CDs. They can download the songs (again, downloading pirated music isn’t exactly unusual) and burn them to CDs to use in their cars or where ever else and the record company would see zip in profits.
While we’re not sure this new technology is going to stop the regular Joes and Janes from burning CDs for their friends, it could be pretty handy when it comes to people selling bootleg CDs in bulk and trying to pass them off as the real deal.
Read the [official release from the University of Granada here->http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-12/udg-sda120508.php#B#].
That still doesn't seem to be easier than checking the underside to see if it isn't silver.
Oh, and the only way I would ever buy music is on CD, unless the artist is selling it in FLAC, WAV or APE. Regardless of whether I can hear the difference between the original WAV file and an MP3, I'm not going to pay money for something which is lower quality. CD is the best I can get, so that's what I want -- FLAC/WAV/APE are all equivelant to CD.
BTW I burn all my CDs for my car, the car wrecks them in about 6 months a cd. I have allot of signed copies I won't let them near that CD player.
Here (Holland, The Netherlands if you prefer) you pay 11 cents per blank disk even if you use the disk for lets say ... a backup of your text documents.
It would be unethical to let people pay for the use of blank cd's in combination with downloaded music wether they take use of it or not AND fix the hardware so they wont be able to take use of it. :s
"Finally, 3 years and 2 million dollars later we know CD-R's and CD-RW's aren't typically used to make CD's by the music industry."
But do people even make bootleg CDs anymore? If someone was going to buy music from a shifty salesmen on a Disc that is real, it defeats the purpose of buying a CD. I buy CD's not only for the music, but for the decoration, and for something to put on my shelf.
I'll just download it if I wanted it that bad.
TSM
Once I get home I rip them into glorious, lossless FLAC, burn a copy to take with me or play in the stereo, and keep the originals in their cases. That way I get an un-degraded digital copy, the original source, plus all the liner notes and album art. I can't afford to replace the CDs that get dinged up anymore.
If I want something but don't feel like buying the whole album (it happens on occasion), I'll fire up the Amazon downloader and get legitimate, high quality, DRM-free MP3s at a reasonable price. Apple may have the majority share in online music services, but I'm supporting the competition who went about things the right way from the start (they even have a Linux client for their downloads).
For discovering new music I hadn't heard before, Pandora.com is excellent. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be buying or having other gift me any of the music I'm getting this holiday season. Just make sure to turn off your ad-blocker for that site and help keep them afloat in the face of rising royalty costs. Seems the RIAA likes to shoot themselves in the foot and do everything they can to keep people from finding new music to buy.