Controversial rapper Eminem is set to become arguably the highest-profile artist to have his next CD release protected against copyright infringement.

Universal, to which Eminem is signed, is in talks to release the forthcoming 'The Eminem Show' with technology that will prevent widespread copying.

He follows Celine Dion, *N Sync and Natalie Imbruglia, who have all had technology added to prevent their albums being copied and distributed on the internet.

A spokesman for Eminem's label Universal Music, Adam White, said: "Mass-copying has gotten to such a level that we had better take a stand to protect the artists."

The drive towards copyright protection software has come following the widespread leak of the Oasis comeback album 'Heathen Chemistry'.

Currently it is uncertain which copyright protection technology will be adopted by Universal. Some consumers have complained that albums with anti-piracy equipment attached have hindered their ability to play them on their computers or in-car stereos.

The label sees it as a testbed for music CD security software.

"Clearly, we will have a better sense of how the market feels about copy protection when a release of Eminem's stature, should we decide to do it, comes with copy protection on it," said White.

But it is also thought that using the protection system for such an in-demand album will almost certainly inspire hackers to work out a way of cracking it, and thus bring down all copyright protected CDs.