During the demonstration, a New Scientist reporter was given a CD, a wire-wool pan scourer (like a Brillo pad) and a magic marker pens. Try as he might, the reporter could not scratch the disc or make the ink stick to the surface.
IGN DVD witnessed this demonstration as well, not realizing that it was the same technology. It took place last June at a Blu-ray summit, where a TDK representative showed how scratch and ink-resistant the Blu-ray discs were.
Two years ago, TDK began developing what was initially a single-layer coating to make DVDs more resistant to scratches. What it came up with was far tougher, while at the same time transparent to the full spectrum of visible light. Because of this, it can be used on cell phone screens as well, which are also prone to scratching.
The process is a highly-guarded secret, but it involves two separate layers of fine silica particles and fluorine-containing resins. The silica particles resist abrasion while the resists do not absorb water, so the ink merely beads up and can be wiped off.
Of course, the question is, when will we see this product Stateside? They didn't say. But at least it gives hope that soon, we won't have to worry about discs being rendered unplayable because they came loose during shipping.