Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests Music file encryption - don't turn me in

I downloaded an album from Napster yesterday and was very disappointed to find that they were WMA files instead of mp3s. I went to convert them and got some bs about them being encrypted. So I burned the CD from Napster and then ripped it using CDEX.

I guess my question is, is it really that easy? Have I overlooked something, like they'll explode or something like that? Does the sound quality massively degrade when you do this?

And if it is really this easy to get around, why go to the trouble of encoding them in the first place? Sure it's a little bit of a hassle to burn and rip them, but blank cds are a dime a dozen.

Anyway, a big double deuce goes out to whoever's idea it was to restrict the use of music that I paid for

if you just want to make them mp3's why even buy normal cd's.

Get one CD/RW disk one time feeand you can use the cd's many times

Whats wrong with WMAs? Thats what I use same thing just different name really. My MP3 players play WMAs too.

WMA's can be turned back into CD-audio using Roxio EZCD 5.x Platinum when you're going to burn them. It does it for you.

iTunes Music Store is the same way... you can't play encoded songs on another computer, can't transfer back and forth from an iPod, but if you burn it, then rip it, its golden.

Most encryptions can be bypassed by (basic description) taking the output, the actual sound waves, of an encrpted file and recording them, not just converting the file. Kinda like taking a macrovision VHS tape, sending the signal to the TV, then taking the TV's output and sending it to another VCR, effectively bypasing the macroguard. The music Co.'s are gonna have to do alot more than what they are doing to defeat piracy. I personally dont think it will ever happen, they might discourage the casual, idiot-proof downloader programs (Kazaa, Napster, etc) but hardcore downloaders will always be able to get free music.