Transcend Planning to Manufacture Copy Protected SD and microSD Cards

transcendtitle

Copy protection and data encryption are standard in most storage media, but you don’t often hear of copy protection as it pertains to memory cards. Although all SD cards come with a form of DRM copy protection (CPRM), it’s rarely used; and something as common as re-formatting the memory card can erase protected sections that are required to make use of the copy protection in the first place.

Other copy-protected memory card options are marketed to/used mainly by companies, and not typical consumers. Seeing this market as an opportunity, Transcend Information recently announced plans to manufacture its own copy-protected SD and microSD cards and a corresponding reader.

Given the sensitive, copyrighted nature of the data photographers in particular keep on memory cards, this should come as good news.

Some of the key features of Transcend’s new cards will include: the ability to set partially-protected and partially-free areas, read-only CD emulation, customized device security, and high capacity (although the release doesn’t go into size specifics). The catch is that Transcend’s copy-protected cards will only be fully accessible using a special USB 3.0 reader that will act as a key.

So far the plans are just that, with nothing in way of release dates and prices mentioned in the press release. But expect other memory manufacturers to begin marketing copy-protected cards to consumers if Transcend sees sufficient interest in these cards.

(via The Digital Picture)

Discussion