SunnComm Develops Powerful Technology

Charlie Pride Issues Copy Protected CD

... Yet Illegal mp3's are Already on the Web

SunnComm, based in Phoenix, Arizona, claims to have created a foolproof, backwards compatible, encryption scheme, that can virtually eliminate piracy. The CD, due to be released Tuesday, is eagerly awaited by music fans, and even more sought after by..... hackers anxious to try their hands at breaking the encryption scheme.

However, a gigantic hole in the anti-piracy plan has already been found!!! The music from the CD is already all over the Internet. Eight of the 15 songs on the CD were posted Monday on a private Web page hosted by Yahoo and quickly spread throughout cyberspace.

The appearance of mp3s from the album muddies the debate over the effectiveness of CD encryption schemes. SunnComm Chairman John Aquilino quickly claimed their technology wasn't hacked. Instead it determined the leaked songs were likely copied from an unprotected set of 2,000 CDs released in Australia.

First and foremost, the WIZARD is deeply disappointed in Charlie Pride, whose primary goal here is to prevent this fans from enjoying his music. Those of us who listen at our computers, on our personal players and in our cars via mp3 are prohibited from "fair use" of a CD legally purchased.

More importantly, here we have another clueless record company, too stupid to realize the Internet is a world wide medium. Since Pride's U.S. CD is virtually useless to technologically advanced fans, they are actually encouraged to get the mp3's from the net, rather than buy the worthless CD. Arrogance and stupidity have reached a new high.