The first widely released CD using copy-protection technology is currently in stores. 'N Sync's recent release, , is available in three different versions'one with strong copy protection in Germany, one with weaker copy protection in the United States and an unprotected version in the United Kingdom.
Anti-copying technologies for CDs have raised skepticism among some who maintain that making a computer-readable copy of a CD on a computer for their own use falls under the 'fair use' provisions of copyright law. Music companies have argued that due to the rise of fast Internet connections and the efficient MP3 audio compression format, they must use copy-protection technologies to maintain revenue.
The protected CDs play normally in CD players, but the German version cannot be played on a computer or copied directly to a recordable CD, unlike the other two versions. It is also the only one of the CDs to carry a warning that the disc uses the copy-protection technology.
