Is this a copy protection scheme?

This week, while playing a new 2-CD release, I was struck by the fact that
each disc had only ~40 minutes of audio. Thinking the discs might have a
second session with multimedia, I looked at the data side to see if I
could see evidence of 2 sessions. Thinking there might be, I popped a CD
into an old machine that I use occasionally to burn CD's. Autorun is
disabled on that machine, and I saw nothing unusual when I powered up the
computer with the CD in the drive.

I then used Nero InfoTool to examine the disc, and it found only an audio
disc with 1 session. The machine also has an old version of ECDC, so I
launched it to use the session selector to see if it found a data session
(It didn't).

But ... as ECDC was loading, I saw something unusual on the screen!
In the upper left corner, a postage-sized rectangular graphic appeared.
It was yellow and black, and flashed "Powered By" as a circle climbed
upwards through the rectangle. (It never gets to display _what_ powers
this).

From then onwards, this little graphic is displayed every time I launch
ECDC with that disc in the drive. If the disc is out, ECDC loads normally.
I have not tried to copy or rip the disc - that was not my intention,
anyway.

Does this ring bells with anyone as being characteristic of any specific
copy protection scheme? If something has been installed on this PC, I'd
like to remove it.

(FWIW this is the Pet Shop Boys set "Concrete" released on EMI/Parlophone
UK. There is an antipiracy message in the booklet, but so specific markings
anywhere that warn of copy protection, difficulty playing on some
computers, or the like).

"Michael Schuster" <schuster.DeleteThis@panix.com> wrote in message
news:ehp061$iec$1@reader2.panix.com...
>
> This week, while playing a new 2-CD release, I was struck by the fact that
> each disc had only ~40 minutes of audio. Thinking the discs might have a
> second session with multimedia, I looked at the data side to see if I
> could see evidence of 2 sessions. Thinking there might be, I popped a CD
> into an old machine that I use occasionally to burn CD's. Autorun is
> disabled on that machine, and I saw nothing unusual when I powered up the
> computer with the CD in the drive.
>
> I then used Nero InfoTool to examine the disc, and it found only an audio
> disc with 1 session. The machine also has an old version of ECDC, so I
> launched it to use the session selector to see if it found a data session
> (It didn't).
>
> But ... as ECDC was loading, I saw something unusual on the screen!
> In the upper left corner, a postage-sized rectangular graphic appeared.
> It was yellow and black, and flashed "Powered By" as a circle climbed
> upwards through the rectangle. (It never gets to display _what_ powers
> this).
>
> From then onwards, this little graphic is displayed every time I launch
> ECDC with that disc in the drive. If the disc is out, ECDC loads normally.
> I have not tried to copy or rip the disc - that was not my intention,
> anyway.
>
> Does this ring bells with anyone as being characteristic of any specific
> copy protection scheme? If something has been installed on this PC, I'd
> like to remove it.
>
> (FWIW this is the Pet Shop Boys set "Concrete" released on EMI/Parlophone
> UK. There is an antipiracy message in the booklet, but so specific
> markings
> anywhere that warn of copy protection, difficulty playing on some
> computers, or the like).

I would be suspicious of this. Unfortunately, almost all (damn near
absolutely all, in fact) CD's and DVD's have some form of copy protection
and encryption built in. It's a shame, really, that this has had to be done
today. Is there a number at EMI/Parlophone UK you can call about this? Or
an email address, even? I would assume what you have seen is some form of
protection, but it could be some kind of flash graphics utility.