12. Outwitting the Music Pirates
In an effort to stop pirate copying of its products, the music industry has formed the Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI). This is a consortium of 200 companies, and last year it challenged computer hackers to test its latest safeguard against illicit copying.

This involves the insertion of a digital “watermark” into a computerized music file. It is a pattern of the one’s and zero’s of which digital information is composed. This pattern identifies the copyright owner, as well as what may be done with the file. It would then be necessary to arrange for all new music-playing equipment to be fitted with hardware that interprets this watermark appropriately. (This should be possible, since the SDMI includes the equipment manufacturers)

One method of watermarking is to add echoes to the music. An echo may be present or absent; the time delay between the primary signal and the echo can also vary. By manipulating these parameters, it is possible to insert a unique pattern of information into a file—ideally, without altering what it sounds like when played. The flaw in the system is that hackers would have access to the watermark detectors built into the music-playing equipment in order to stop the use of pirated material. The hackers could use “reverse engineering” to figure out which watermarking technology was being used, and so be able to remove it.

Adapted from an article in the Economist


Questions 1—3
Complete the sentences below with words taken from the reading passage. Use NO MORE THAN ONE WORD OR NUMBER for each blank. Write your answers in boxes 1—3 on your answer sheet.

1. The purpose of a digital watermark is to identify the owner of the ______of music.
2. Unique digital information can be added to a piece of music by means of _____ .
3. Hackers could remove watermarks by _____ the process used by watermark ______ built into the devices used to play music.

Answer: 1-copyright, 2-echoes, 3-reversing, detectors

- 제주도 유일한 off-line 아이엘츠 학원 -