Copy-protected CDs - philosophical discussion


My previous copy-protection thread probably deserves a follow-up since the issue is just as troubling ethically/legally/philosophically as it is technically.

Record companies are selling CDs which do not play on a PC's CD player. However, the CDs are not identified as such and, according to at least one source, may have trouble playing on high-end systems and car CD players.

Here's the news story:
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-6604222.html

Here's an unofficial list of copy-protected CDs, authored by a guy whose opinion on the matter should be quite obvious:
http://fatchucks.com/corruptcds/corrupt.html

Reserving the technical discussion and "can you actually hear it" discussions for my previous thread, what are your feelings on the softer side of this issue, especially given the vast amount of software that we collectively gave/received over the past couple of weeks?

Don't hold back, now!

FWIW, my take is that this is just another case of technology scaring the crap out of a lumbering entrenched industry with severely dated business models because the geeks are infinitely smarter and more creative than the suits can ever hope to be. Just like the lawsuit against Napster, it may succeed in its immediate goal (for a month or so), but misses the real point completely. Alienating customers who are not criminals is bad business. For many of us Audiogoners, I imagine the presence of "all but inaudible" distortion on a recording is reason enough to avoid it like the plague. The music business is not about “clicks and pops”; it's about music.
powerste
Angela, agree with you 100%. The music industry is trying to shoot itself in the foot with this one.....I don't burn cd's myself but feel I have a right to make my own copies if I had a player in the car....these encripted cds may not play in dvd, older cd and car players. Of course they will not be ripped either....But the cds should be plainly marked as I won't buy them....and I probably buy 100 cds a year...I'll start sticking with the smaller lables.I'll be complaining, though. Feedback is what they need and what they'll get. Cornfedboy..that's the way I feel before my first coffee,,,,I do not compute, where is my caffene....
sorry, i tried to send a post explaining, in exquisite detail, the legal and philosophical implications of encoding redbook cd's but somebody downstream (errrrr.....maybe upstream) encrypted it. can't find it on my computer now. BTW, it took me hours just to send this post. i restarted my mac numerous times. kept getting these images that looked somewhat like bill gates seen through the same lens bob dylan employed doing the cover for blonde on blonde. wow, this is some kinda' weird shirt. -cfb
CFB you know I speak that text, it sounds similar to R2D2 talking. And as Angela guessed in an earlier thread, yes I can make the correct noises! So all you have to do is plug the text into your R2 unit and he'll translate it for ya.

Oh and on topic if I ever purchased a CD that wouldn't play on one of my players I would set it a flame and throw it through the window of the establishment from which I purchased it! Is there any legal implication with that act!

Good day,
Tim The screwball guy
"All but inaudible" encription does NOT make INaudible. This is Corporate Greed at the height of arrogance! We pay our $ for the best sound possible & then it is deliberately degaraded... Henceforth it should only cost about half price, since that's in reality all that we're getting from it, but consumers be damned. Is it any wonder that people still cling to their records like glue? The philosophy used to *correctly* be that once you pay for something then you've earned to do as you please, for your own personal uses of course. Any perception of "lost revenue" is far negated by "customer alienation" which will cost them far more, but the yuppie schmucks will never understand THAT.
Just a shot in the dark but it seems like whenever there is a situation that potentially limits profits for corporate America, well then, uhm, ah, seems like my computer just made some popping & clicking noises & now I can't hear what I just said.