Autorun is the process by which Windows automatically launches a file on a disc that you put in the cd-rom drive. The file gives windows some instructions on what to do and/or how to do it. When you put a video game into your drive, for instance, typically autorun tells your computer to go ahead and run the setup file on the cd. Result? You put in your cd, setup begins automagically.
That's all well and good, except that most forms of copy protection on music discs (I'm not going to call them CD's because technically they are not actually CD's! More on this later) are installed onto your computer via the autorun feature. For instance, Velvet Revolver's Contraband automagically runs a EULA dialog screen when you first put it into your CD-ROM drive in your computer. If you accept the terms of the EULA, the music disc installs some driver software on your machine that prevents you from ripping the music onto your drive (incidentally, you also agree that you can only listen to any other copies you make, say one for your car, as long as you still possess the original- you lose the original, and you forfeit your right ot listen to the album at all, even those copies you made). What's worse, The Beastie Boys TT5B album silently assaults your computer with similar copy protection- at least VR has the courtesy to ask you to accept the imminent assjam of your comp!
So, that being said, you can circumvent the autorun 'feature' on your computer in two ways: there is the each-and-every-time approach, or the one-fell-swoop approach (which I prefer and currently use).
If you somehow like the autorun feature to be on sometimes and not on other times, you can easily defeat autorun by holding down the SHIFT key on your keyboard while you put the disc in the drive- be sure to keep it held down until the disc stops spinning. That way, you can still have those programs begin to install automagically: this is the each-and-every-time approach, because you will have to hold SHIFT each and every time you want to cancel autorun. If you forget to hold it down and a disc with copy protection like TT5B's installs its madness on your machine, you can remove it with a little work.
That is why I prefer the one-fell-swoop approach. You can disable autorun completely and entirely with a registry entry in Windows. Then, every time you put in a cd, it will spin for a second and then get quiet and will never auto run. You can also explore cd's by double-clicking them instead of right-clicking and choosing Explore. If these things are not an issue for you, or you prefer to use autorun in some instances, you could just use the SHIFT key- besides, it's kinda fun to tell your friends that you're such a 1337 haxor that you defeated 'the man' with one keystroke!
Now this will require some knowledge of registry editing, but do not panic- it's not as difficult as it sounds. Still, you can cause serious damage to your computer by funking with the registry, so if you have any doubts, you can stick to the SHIFT key.
Be advised that changing this registry entry means that Windows will no longer be notified when you change a disc in an optical drive. To make sure the correct cd (or dvd) title is displayed in My Computer, you can hit F5 to refresh the screen. This is not such a big deal- simply double-clicking the drive icon will open the drive for exploration.
That's it! Hopefully I'll have some more information compiled regarding the government and what the Senate thinks about copy protection. Additionally, I'll try to clarify why copy-protected music discs are not considered by Philips to be CD's- for now, check some of your CD's (or what you thought were CD's) for the 'Compact Disc Digital Audio' logo- if it ain't there, then it ain't a CD!