SlySoft, the makers of AnyDVD HD, have released an updated version of the copy-protection removal tool which allows Blu-ray owners to back up their discs.
[UPDATE 03/26/08 - Exercising its "Right to Reply" I have the following to share from Macrovision Corp, the company who currently owns the rights to BD+ technology:
“Macrovision does not comment on specific techniques or procedures that may directly impact the BD+ security technology. BD+ is a security response system designed to react to security attacks, not prevent them entirely. As part of this system, updated BD+ security code is continuously developed so that BD+ customers obtain ongoing value from the use of this technology.”
Eric Rodli, Executive Vice President & General Manager of Entertainment, Macrovision Corporation]
Film studios that have switched to Blu-ray may have crowed a little too early because the much-praised BD+ copy protection is an ad absurdum affair now, too. With today's release of version 6.4.0.0 of AnyDVD HD it is now also possible to make backup security copies of Blu-ray discs protected with BD+.
BD+ is the DRM protocol used to protect Blu-ray discs. It's a very sophisticated scheme that makes use of a small virtual machine environment to enforce compliance. BD+ was considered much harder to crack than the encryption used on HD DVD discs (which SlySoft cracked last year). In fact, faith in BD+ was so strong that Richard Doherty of Envisioneering Group was quoted in July of last year as saying:
BD+, unlike AACS which suffered a partial hack last year, won't likely be breached for 10 years.
Can Blu-ray be tightened up following this crack? Sure. Even SlySoft admits that a future tweak to BD+ could put an end to this crack, although the company is optimistic that a a crack could be found.
Peer van Heuen, head of High-Definition technologies at SlySoft adds: "Admittedly, we are not really so fast with this because actually we had intended to publish this release already in December as promised. However, it was decided for strategic reasons to wait a bit for the outcome of the "format war" between HD DVD and Blu-ray. On top of that, we first wanted to see our assumptions confirmed about the in the meantime released BD+ titles regarding the BD+ Virtual Machine. We are rather proud to have brought back to earth the highly-praised and previously "unbreakable" BD+. However, we must also admit that the Blu-ray titles released up to now have not fully exploited the possibilities of BD+. Future releases will undoubtedly have a modified and more polished BD+ protection, but we are well prepared for this and await the coming developments rather relaxed". Van Heuen adds jokingly: "The worst-case scenario then is our boss locks us up with only bread and water in the company dungeon for three months until we are successful again".
In other news, the other day I picked up an LG GGW-H20L Super Multi Blu-ray writer / HD-ROM reader drive.
