AnyDVD claims it defeats protection on latest BD+ discs

With its usual ostentatiousness, the makers of the media disc backup program AnyDVD HD released a new version that it claims decrypts "all commercial Blu-ray releases," including those which feature the latest BD+ copy protection.

Flying the flag of Antigua as if to shout to the world's content producers, "So sue us!" AnyDVD HD maker SlySoft released today version 6.5.0.2, with the promise of decrypting "all commercial Blu-ray releases," using a system SlySoft described as "incredible magic." The program makes backup copies of Blu-ray discs, among others, without the need for users to save .ISO images of those discs to HDD first, and without the need for HDCP-compliant monitors.

The BD+ copy protection scheme was intentionally designed to be extensible, with the understanding that current techniques will inevitably be cracked. Though BD+ had always been planned as the copy protection scheme of choice for Blu-ray, the final initial version was only made available in the summer of 2007. By the following March, that first version was cracked by AnyDVD.

Making good on its promises, Macrovision -- the copy protection and TV scheduling system producer that purchased the rights to BD+ in November 2007 -- gave BD+ a refit. But the option of rendering consumers' players inoperable if they read media that was determined to be cracked, was apparently avoided -- instead, some users reported their legitimate media wouldn't play.

The typical price for AnyDVD HD has been €79, but SlySoft announced it's suspending its lifetime updates policy after December 31. In its place will be an annual subscription rate, which will apparently take care of the ongoing task of re-cracking a protection scheme that can be perennially healed with later renditions.