Slashdot Mirror
Universal Music Prepares for Copy-Protection Complaints
tregoweth writes: "Universal Music Group is preparing for the onslaught of complaints about their copy-protected CDs. They've launched a customer support site,
which includes a FAQ ("Can I get a copy of this CD without the copy protection?"), tech support ("Why can't I copy the disc to my hard drive?", which they don't actually answer), a description of the reasons that you can get a refund (including some playback "issues" I hadn't heard about), and the fearsome legalese covering the audio player and compressed audio files included on the CD." Our previous story has more information.
Is Philips still planning on not letting Universal us the standard audio CD logos on their CDs because of the Red Book compliance issues? To me that's a very strong statement.
...or at least your immediate needs. Phillips seems a logical choice to back at this point as a hardware vendor that can profit from the lack of copy protection. They are a company like any other and $$$ are the only language. Phillips could provide actual muscle in the corporate arena that people jumping up and down protesting could never provide. Let companies that back your "ideals" do the legwork for you, BUT, always keeps one eye one the people your fighting and the other on the people fighting for you, because umltimately, they are out for themselves too and wouldn't hesitate to throw you to the wolves too if it made them a buck.
So what happens 5 years from now when you can't find a machine running XP to save your life, and the newest version of Microsoft's OS is incompatible with my cd's player. Universal says they won't be providing updates so I've just got a coaster? Thats dissapointing...
The artists (and more importantly, their agents) need to understand that the labels are hurting them financially (not that this is news to them, that's how the biz works anyway) in new and interesting ways.
It's entirely possible to do your own thing in music and make a solid living at it. Sure, you may not be the next Britney Spheres, but why would you want to? Look at Frank Zappa, Ani DiFranco, and Prince. They are (or were in FZs case) doing it for themselves. Zappa was doing it for himself since the early 70's!
this is getting old and so are you
blog
If my "PC" doesn't have Windows, it hasn't met the "minimum system requirements" to play a CD.
It must be time to "upgrade"!
Free unix account: freeshell.org
Buy as many CD's as you can afford at the time, open ALL of them, and take them back immediately. Retailers don't like to take back opened merchandise, and will quite often (from what I understand) charge back a small amount the the distributor, which will then pass the cost upwards. While some may consider this approach stupid/ineffective, think about this: enough people buy these "CDs" and return them, and retailers will think twice about buying them or moving them into the retail chain.
Doesn't the bit about the license for the player being non-transferable violate the doctrine of first sale?
I can sell my regular CD's to the guy next door, and they can't do a thing about it. Now, if I sell these silvery things to the guy next door, he can't listen to the stuff on his computer???
Or does doctrine of first sale trump such restrictions?
At least they use open source code! :)
From: http://www.musichelponline.com/legal/
The Content has been encoded using software that incorporates the LAME encoder; more information about the encoder is available at http:// www.mp3dev.org.
http://www.mp3dev.org/mp3/
now LAME is the source code for a fully GPL'd MP3 encoder, with speed and quality to rival all commercial competitors.
Brian Ellenberger
Depends on how you define "cracked." I could take the CD, put it in my CD player, connect the optical out from that to my soundblaster card (with Optical In) and rip away. Nice digital copy. Sure, not as fast or as easy, but doable nevertheless.
As Lessig said, "just a speedbump"
If they're are working to make it possible to rip the songs to MP3 to be copied onto an MP3 player, what's the point of the copy-protection in the first place? First, they add copy-protection, then they plan to add even more features to work around the copy-protection.
Of course, their answer didn't really say this is what they are working toward, but it sure seems to be trying to imply it.
Edward Burr
Having a smoking section in a restaurant is like having a peeing section in a swimming pool.
Here is the text of the articles:
The FAQ:
Why have you copy-protected the CD?
UMG is incorporating copy protection into their CDs to assess its viability in protecting the rights of our artists and copyright holders by preventing CD copying and illegal Internet distribution.
Are you going to copy-protect all CDs from now on?
UMG is committed to protecting the rights of its artists and copyright holders. UMG will be testing various technologies on specifically identified releases throughout 2002.
Can I get a copy of this CD without the copy protection?
No, all copies of this CD are copy-protected.
Can I play this disc in my PC?
The CD will play in PCs that meet the following minimum system requirements: PC with at least Pentium® 133mHz or compatible processor, 32 MB RAM, CD-ROM drive, soundcard and speakers, Microsoft ®Windows95®, Windows98®, Windows2000®, Windows ME®, Windows XP® or Windows NT 4 ® with Service Pack 4.
The CD should automatically start playing in most PCs. If it does not start playing in yours, open the CD-ROM drive's window and click on the music player application. Once in the player you can "Play" or open the "Playlist", choose a track and click on it.
For information about returns, please see our return policy.
Where can I send suggestions/comments?
You may email comments to: umg@umusic.com
or mail them to:
Universal Music Group
Attn: Copy Protection Customer Care
2220 Colorado Avenue, 2nd Floor
Santa Monica, CA 90404
The Tech Support Site:
The CD is not playing in an audio CD player (DVD player, car stereo, portable CD player, game console).
This CD may not be playable in a limited number of CD players. UMG is currently working with our technology providers to achieve 100% playability.
If you experience this problem, you can help us by emailing the model of the player and a description of the problem to umg@umusic.com
For information about returns, please see our return policy.
The audio has one or more of the following problems:
Clicks, pops, noises, skipping, etc.
Songs did not start and stop when the skip button was pushed.
The fast forward and rewind functions did not work.
You were unable to play all of the songs.
There were long delays between songs or after a button was pressed for a particular function.
UMG is currently making every effort possible to eliminate any audio interference or technical difficulties created by the implementation of copy protection technologies.
If you experience this problem, you can help us by emailing the model of the player and a description of the problem to umg@umusic.com.
Assuming the problem is not repeated with non-protected CDs, you may return the disc. Please see our return policy for more information.
Can I listen to the songs from this CD on my MP3 player?
As with all computer software there may be incompatibilities with some computer systems. The CD is designed to play on PCs. The current version of the copy-protection technology does not allow you to copy files from the CD into MP3 format. UMG is currently making every effort possible to upgrade our available technology to add new features and increase playability.
Why can't I play this disc on my Macintosh-based computer?
This CD will play in PCs running Microsoft® Windows95®, Windows98®, Windows2000®, Windows ME®, Windows XP® or Windows NT 4 ® with Service Pack 4. We hope to include Macintosh-based playability on copy-protected discs in the future.
For information about returns, please see our return policy.
Why can't I copy the disc to my hard drive?
We recognize that many consumers enjoy storing music on their PCs and we are currently working on new systems to allow for this capability. To listen to the CD on your PC, use the media player included in the CD.
The Return Policy:
UMG has authorized all retailers to accept returns. If you have experienced any of the following problems, you may return the CD (even if the package is opened) accompanied by the receipt, to the retailer that the CD was originally purchased from for a full refund:
The CD is not playing in your CD or DVD player.
The CD is not playing in your computer.
The audio has audible problems.
The songs did not start and stop when the skip button was pushed.
The fast forward and rewind functions did not work.
You are not able to play all of the songs on the CD.
There are long delays between the songs or after you press a button for a particular function (fast forward, rewind, etc.).
UMG is making every effort to eliminate these problems as soon as possible.
The Fearsome Legalese:
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY TO THE MUSIC PLAYER APPLICATION AND AUDIO CONTENT YOU ARE USING. IF YOU DO NOT OR CANNOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO USE THE PLAYER OR CONTENT. IF YOU DO NOT OR CANNOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, YOU MAY RETURN THE COMPACT DISC ON WHICH YOU RECEIVED THE PLAYER AND CONTENT FOR A REFUND.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR RECEIVING A REFUND UNDER OUR RETURNS POLICY ARE ENCLOSED IN THE JEWEL CASE ACCOMPANYING THE COMPACT DISC AND ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT: Return Policy.
DESCRIPTION OF PLAYER AND CONTENT
The compact disc you are using contains copy protection technology. When you use the compact disc in a conventional CD player, it operates like any other CD. When you use the compact disc in a CD ROM drive, the technology launches an audio player (the "Player"), and plays compressed audio files (the "Content").
USE OF THE PLAYER AND CONTENT
No Additional Charge. There is no additional charge to you for the Player or Content.
Privacy. No personal information about you is collected by or through the Player or Content.
Responsibilities. You are responsible for all use of the Player and the Content on the CD you have purchased. You may only use the Player and Content pursuant to these terms and conditions.
Player and Content. The Player and Content comprise intellectual property owned by us and our licensors, and they are protected under international law, including patent, copyright and trade secret laws. Your use of the Player and Content is governed by the terms and conditions set forth herein. All title and ownership rights in the Player and Content remains with us and our licensors, as applicable.
License. We hereby grant to you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use the Player and Content on your personal computer solely for your own personal, non-commercial use. You understand and agree that you may not reproduce, modify, display, distribute or otherwise use the Player or Content except as expressly provided herein, and you may not attempt to separate the Player or Content from the CD on which you received them. You may not authorize, encourage or allow the Player or any Content to be reproduced, modified, displayed, distributed or otherwise used by any other party, and you agree that you will take all reasonable steps to prevent any unauthorized reproduction and/or use of them. Nothing herein is intended to prevent you from transferring the CD you purchased to another person who will be bound by these terms and conditions. Except as expressly provided herein, no other licenses or rights (including rights to maintenance or updates) are granted, expressly, or by implication or estoppel.
No Reverse Engineering. You may not attempt (or authorize, encourage or support others' attempts) to circumvent, reverse engineer, decrypt, break or otherwise alter or interfere with the Player, the operation of it, or Content.
MAINTENANCE AND UPDATES
We do not provide maintenance or updates for the Player or Content.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
All trademarks, service marks, trade names, slogans, logos, and other indicia of origin that appear on or in connection with the Player and/or Content are our property or that of our affiliates or licensors. You may not copy, display or use any of these marks without prior written permission of the mark owner. The Player and Content (and portions of them) are protected under patent law and are the subject of issued patents and pending patent applications. The Player and Content (and portions of them) are also protected under copyright law and trade secret law. The Player and Content may also contain third party technology. The following describes such third party technology and your rights and licenses therein. The Player uses the Blowfish block cipher, ã 1995 A.M. Kuchling; you may use it solely in connection with your use of the Player and Content as permitted herein, unless you receive further authorization directly from the author of it. The Player includes technology of EverAd Inc., Midbar Tech Ltd., and QDesign Corp.; you may use it solely in connection with your use of the Player and Content as permitted herein, unless you receive further authorization directly from the owners of it. The Content has been encoded using software that incorporates the LAME encoder; more information about the encoder is available at http:// www.mp3dev.org.
U.S. GOVERNMENT RIGHTS
The Player is "commercial computer software" or "commercial computer software documentation." The United States government's rights with respect to the Player are limited by the terms of this agreement pursuant to FAR 12.212(a) and/or DFARS 227.7202-1(a), as applicable.
INTERNATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
The Content files are encrypted and the Player contains decryption technology. You agree to abide by U.S. and other applicable export control laws and not to transfer any material subject to restrictions under such laws to a national destination or person prohibited under such laws.
REMEDIES
You understand and agree that any unauthorized use of the Player or Content would result in irreparable injury to us and/or our affiliates or licensors for which money damages would be inadequate, and in such event we and/or licensors, as applicable, shall have the right, in addition to other remedies available at law and in equity, to immediate injunctive relief against you. Nothing contained in this paragraph or elsewhere in this document shall be construed to limit remedies or relief available pursuant to statutory or other claims that we, our affiliates and/or licensors may have under separate legal authority, including but not limited to, any claim for intellectual property infringement.
INDEMNITY
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless us and our agents, employees, representatives, licensors, affiliates, parents and subsidiaries from and against any and all claims, losses, demands, causes of action and judgments (including attorneys' fees and court costs) (collectively "Claims") arising from or concerning your use of the Player or Content and to reimburse them on demand for any losses, costs or expenses they incur as a result of any Claims.
TERM AND TERMINATION
The term of this agreement shall be for so long as we and/or our licensors own any intellectual property rights in the Player or Content. You may terminate this agreement at any time by returning to us the CD you purchased.
DISCLAIMERS
You understand and agree that your use of the Player and Content is at your own sole risk. THE PLAYER AND CONTENT ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTY BY US OR OUR AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, PARENTS, SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, LICENSORS, BUSINESS PARTNERS AND/OR SUPPLIERS, AS APPLICABLE, AND, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT ALLOWED BY APPLICABLE LAW, WE AND OUR AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, PARENTS, SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, LICENSORS, BUSINESS PARTNERS AND/OR SUPPLIERS, AS APPLICABLE, EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND ANY WARRANTY OF NONINFRINGEMENT. THERE IS NO WARRANTY THAT THE PLAYER OR CONTENT WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, OR THAT YOUR ACCESS TO THE SAME WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE. WE, OUR AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, PARENTS, SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, LICENSORS, BUSINESS PARTNERS AND/OR SUPPLIERS, AS APPLICABLE, DO NOT WARRANT, GUARANTEE, OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE OR THE RESULTS OF THE USE OF THE PLAYER OR CONTENT WITH RESPECT TO PERFORMANCE, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, SECURITY CAPABILITY, CURRENTNESS OR OTHERWISE. YOU WILL NOT HOLD US OR OUR AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, PARENTS, SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, LICENSORS, BUSINESS PARTNERS AND/OR SUPPLIERS, AS APPLICABLE, RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGES THAT RESULT FROM YOU USING THE PLAYER OR CONTENT, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY INFECTIONS OR CONTAMINATIONS OF YOUR COMPUTER OR DAMAGE TO ANY SOFTWARE OR SYSTEMS YOU USE TO ACCESS THE SAME THAT MAY RESULT FROM THAT USE. NO ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION OR ADVICE GIVEN BY ANY PERSON SHALL CREATE A WARRANTY IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER RELATING TO US, OUR AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, PARENTS, SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, LICENSORS, BUSINESS PARTNERS AND/OR SUPPLIERS, AS APPLICABLE.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL WE OR OUR AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, PARENTS, SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, LICENSORS, BUSINESS PARTNERS AND/OR SUPPLIERS, AS APPLICABLE, BE LIABLE FOR ANY UNAUTHORIZED USE OF THE PLAYER OR CONTENT.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL WE OR OUR AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, PARENTS, SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, LICENSORS, BUSINESS PARTNERS AND/OR SUPPLIERS, AS APPLICABLE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL OR SPECIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, AND THE LIKE) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PLAYER OR CONTENT, EVEN IF WE AND/OR OUR AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, PARENTS, SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, LICENSORS, BUSINESS PARTNERS AND/OR SUPPLIERS, AS APPLICABLE, HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. BECAUSE SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. TO THE EXTENT THAT IN A PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCE ANY DISCLAIMER OR LIMITATION ON DAMAGES OR LIABILITY SET FORTH HEREIN IS PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THEN, INSTEAD OF THE PROVISIONS HEREOF IN SUCH PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCE, WE AND/OR OUR AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, PARENTS, SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, LICENSORS, BUSINESS PARTNERS AND/OR SUPPLIERS, AS APPLICABLE, SHALL BE ENTITLED TO THE MAXIMUM DISCLAIMERS AND/OR LIMITATIONS ON DAMAGES AND LIABILITY AVAILABLE AT LAW OR IN EQUITY BY SUCH APPLICABLE LAW IN SUCH PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCE, AND IN NO EVENT SHALL SUCH DAMAGES OR LIABILITY EXCEED US$10.
LAW AND LEGAL NOTICES
This agreement and any other terms or documents referred to herein represent your entire agreement with us with respect to your use of the Player and Content. You understand and agree that, except as expressly set forth herein, this agreement is not intended to confer and does not confer any rights or remedies upon any person other than the parties to this agreement. If any part of this agreement is held invalid or unenforceable, that portion shall be construed in a manner consistent with applicable law to reflect, as nearly as possible, the original intentions of the parties, and the remaining portions shall remain in full force and effect. Any actions arising out of or in any manner affecting the interpretation of this agreement as they pertain to the Player or Content, whether under this agreement or otherwise shall be governed solely by, and construed solely in accordance with, the laws of the United States and the State of California, excluding (i) conflict of laws principles; (ii) the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods; (iii) the 1974 Convention on the Limitation Period in the International Sale of Goods; and (iv) the Protocol amending the 1974 Convention, done at Vienna April 11, 1980. To the extent permitted by law, the provisions of this agreement shall supersede any provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code and the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act as adopted or made applicable to the Player in any competent jurisdiction. You expressly agree that the courts in the State of California, Los Angeles County, have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim or dispute with us or relating in any way to the Player or Content. You further agree and expressly consent to personal jurisdiction over you in the federal and state courts of Los Angeles County in connection with any such dispute including any claim involving us or our partners, parents, licensors, affiliates, subsidiaries, employees, contractors, officers, directors or suppliers.
No they are not. This is a blatant lie. If they didn't put messed up data on the CDs in the first place then all of these problems would go away*.
On a clear disk you can seek forever
It seems that all the disclaimer writers I've seen learned to type on AOL... They start out in normal upper and lower case letters.. Then, for some reason, they switch to all caps, like they never realized it.. They go on for several paragraphs like this.. Then they suddenly realize that they were in caps mode, and turn it off... I swear that they learned to type on AOL....
--Garion911
Slashdot is like Playboy: I read it for the articles
You understand and agree that any unauthorized use of the Player or Content would result in irreparable injury to us and/or our affiliates or licensors for which money damages would be inadequate, and in such event we and/or licensors, as applicable, shall have the right, in addition to other remedies available at law and in equity, to immediate injunctive relief against you. Nothing contained in this paragraph or elsewhere in this document shall be construed to limit remedies or relief available pursuant to statutory or other claims that we, our affiliates and/or licensors may have under separate legal authority, including but not limited to, any claim for intellectual property infringement
Irreparable?? That's quite a strong term to use in this case. Especially if they don't know you did it it doesn't hurt them at all. That pretty much rules out irreparable in my book. Also I'm not sure how they can be damaged so that monetery reparations would be inadequate. They are a corporation, they are only there to make money, I don't think they can take you to court on the basis of emotional damage for non-compliance. Just what do they expect to do to you for copying this cd?
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless us and our agents, employees, representatives, licensors, affiliates, parents and subsidiaries from and against any and all claims, losses, demands, causes of action and judgments (including attorneys' fees and court costs) (collectively "Claims") arising from or concerning your use of the Player or Content and to reimburse them on demand for any losses, costs or expenses they incur as a result of any Claims.
Ok so not only can I not sue you for any reason whatsoever, but you can charge me money if I try anyway. Basically this whole thing says if you buy this cd you are fucked, we can do whatever we want to you and you can't do a thing, but if you have the audacity to listen to this product in a way we don't approve of, we can sue you file injunctions take away your dog, or whatever we feel like.
Since when did consumers lose all of their rights as a result of buying a product?
I'm the big fish in the big pond bitch.
Now, if we want to buy a Universal music CD, we have to agree to a license agreement comparable to the average MS EULA.
Many of us probably feared that the customer backlash will be softened by some heavily encrypted files and a proprietary player on each CD. For all too many people, that functionality will be good enough.
Here's to hoping that the general public will still be pissed about:
1.) Not being able to use their favorite music software
2.) Not being able to transfer to mp3 players
Of course, in a few years, we may be in the horrible situation of having the RIAA agree on a new encryption standard, and all major music players and devices will read it. However, those music devices could be forced to tie in with just one computer, or something stupid like that.
I don't share my music, but I listen to all high-bitrate mp3s and use my mp3 player often. I have already decided against purchasing a CD I would almost certainly own by now if it weren't for Universal's copy protection. Let's hope Universal's sales suffer dearly for this.
"The universe seems neither benign nor hostile, merely indifferent." --Carl Sagan
Wouldn't it be misleading to present an audio disc in the standard jewel case, even if the CDDA sticker was not present? If trademarks and domain names can be found confusingly similar, then can the shape of a product also be found confusingly similar? UMG should be required to sell these cds in different jewel cases that make them EASILY distinguishable from the standard jewel case. The lack of sticker won't catch the attention of 99% of the buyers. There should be some other reason that the buyers will not associate this product with a real CDDA compliant cd.
"At the risk of stating the obvious; the only way to make an impact on them is NOT BUY their product."
Actually, a better way is to buy it, then return it. Since returns are only authorized for "defective" CDs they'll be able to see exactly how many people are screwed by this technology based on the returns.
God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
"UMG has authorized all retailers to accept returns. If you have experienced any of the following problems, you may return the CD (even if the package is opened) accompanied by the receipt, to the retailer that the CD was originally purchased from for a full refund: *anything*"
:)
In other words I can buy a CD, rip it ('cos we all know it can and is being done all the time, protection or not) and return it fullprice
Anataka suki desu. Itsumo. Itsumademo.
That's a good idea, but there's a better one!
Buy the CDs, open them, and then RETURN THEM! THEN write your letters stating that you can't buy their music because you can't listen to it on your non-Windows computer. What matters to VivendiUniversal is money. Every time this happens, it costs them money. It also costs the retailer time. Time is money. If this happens enough, they will be more inclined to have harsh words with the distributor. Go to every Best Buy you know, buy a copy-protected CD (Fast & Furious Soundtrack is a great start), open them up, print out the return policy linked in the original article, and then go return them! You can make a difference. Help stop this before it becomes commonplace: buy a CD, open it and return it.
Every once in a while I like to masturbate a new word into my vocabulary, even if I don't know what it means.
This seemed like a good idea to me, too, until I started to think about the idea that in the end, they just up the price of CD's, and we end up paying for it.
CD's are extremely costly, in my opinion. And why are they still more expensive than cassettes, when cassettes are apparently more difficult to manufacture?
I'm thinking that contacting my state's attorney general and complaining MAY get a response, if enough people do it. Hey, the states went after Microsoft, after all! When you see commercials (Philips, I believe) where the guy is mixing his own CD's, at that point it should be considered a general expectation of purchasing a CD. If you purchase a CD, you have a reasonable expectation that you'll be able to mix the songs with other songs of your choosing, and put them onto a newly mixed CD. They are taking that away. Something about harming the consumer comes to my mind, and believe it or not, state attorney generals like to get involved in that sort of a thing.
-Slashdolt
BMG in Europe launched 2 CDs lately with copy protection but have now switched back to ordinary CDs. NewScientist has a decent article about this here. Also covered are the reaction from Congressman Rick Boucher, who has written to the RIAA and others informing them that releasing copy-protected CDs may be a violation of the AHRA (Audio Home Recording Act).
You may not authorize, encourage or allow the Player or any Content to be reproduced, modified, displayed, distributed or otherwise used by any other party
This sounds to be like you are not allowed to let anyone other than yourself use the CD in any way. If you are playing the CD yourself, and someone else walks into the room and hears it, does that count?
Edward Burr
Having a smoking section in a restaurant is like having a peeing section in a swimming pool.
Go in and buy one cd, take it home. Next time you come back complain that the cd is defective and ask for an exchange. Do this often and regularly at store X when different people are working. Again telling them they are defective.
The point is, "returned" merchandise might just get re-shrink wrapped and thrown back on the shelf, where as you state it is "defective" it will more then likely be returned back to Universial or whereever.
-- Knowing too much can get you killed, but knowing who knows too much can make you rich.
Or better yet, email them the ripped .wav files and ask them to remove the pops and clicks and send it back to you.
-S
--- What parts of "shall make no law", "shall not be infringed", and "shall not be violated" don't you understand?
This is my favorite part! Usually you cannot return an opened CD (to most stores). Now I can buy all the UMG CDs I want, copy them (once the copy protection is broken, if it's not already) and then return them! All UMG CDs are now free!
Man, what a great bunch of folks there at UMG. My music collection is gonna flourish!
http://www.umusic.com/static/cgi-bin/artist.cgi?A- D
- J
- O
- S
- Z
http://www.umusic.com/static/cgi-bin/artist.cgi?E
http://www.umusic.com/static/cgi-bin/artist.cgi?K
http://www.umusic.com/static/cgi-bin/artist.cgi?P
http://www.umusic.com/static/cgi-bin/artist.cgi?T
If you like any of these artists, be sure to let them know that you do not like what their "Boss" is doing.
Thanks to file sharing, I purchase more CDs
Thanks to the RIAA, I buy them used...
To: umg@umusic.com
To: webmaster@friendsoflive.com
To Whom It May Concern,
Hoping that you are motivated by more than sheer greed, I'd like to
voice a complaint regarding the Live - V CD that I received as gift
at Christmas this year.
I work as a computer programmer, and as such spend a lot of time at
work, using a computer. I have a collection of about 300 CD's at my
desk at work, that I listen using the CD-ROM drive of one of my computers.
I run several operating systems, including Linux, Solaris,
FreeBSD on my Intel PC's. I also have several Sun SPARC workstations.
When trying to play the Live - V CD, I receive an error message upon
inserting the CD that says 'Cannot run 16-bit application'. I have
serveral other 'media players' including WinAMP, Musicmatch Jukebox,
etc. These attempt to play the CD, and do play the first half of the
CD fairly well. However, the latter tracks on the CD hiss, pop, and
crackle to point that the music is no longer enjoyable.
I've been a fan of Live for many years now ( since Mental Jewelry
came out ), and have purchased all of the other albums, as well as
gone to several concerts featuring Live.
As a consumer who pays for his music, I feely completely shafted and
disenfranchised by Universal's decisions to "Copy Protect" their CD's.
I do not know for certain whether any copy protection was used on the
Live - V albumn, as there is nothing on the CD artwork, jewel-case,
or packaging to indicate such.
I do know that I will be throwing away the albumn as useless, and
will no longer purchase any further Live cd's that come out on the
Universal label.
So, you win. I can't copy the CD so that I can listen to it in my
car on the way to and from work. I can't "burn" it to MP3 format
to listen to on my MP3 player. Nor can I listen to it on my preferred
CD-Player ( which happens to be a PC ).
I will be fucked if I'm going to go buy a standalone CD-Player for
my office, just to listen to music.
You choose to cripple your CD's. I choose not to buy them.
Reference the Universal Music website regarding this at:
http://www.musichelponline.com/TechSupport.asp
I will still pay money to see Live in concert, but I will no longer
pay for Live CD's published under the Universal label. ( Or any
other music I like that comes our on Universal ).
Sorry guys from the band. It's nothing personal against you, and I
am not trying to "steal" your work from you without compensation.
Universal has chosen to make it personal against me.
I wish you all the best of luck. Keep making great music, and visit
Chicago on tour often so I can hear your new stuff ( since I cannot
listen to it on CD ).
Respectfully,
---
Segmentation Fault ( core dumped )
Q. Why have you copy-protected the CD?
A. It's an integral part of our plan to increase our profits without providing extra value. It has the nice side-effect of making everybody into lawbreakers. This is the step after "steal underpants".
Q. Are you going to copy-protect all CDs from now on?
A. Shyea!
Q. Can I get a copy of this CD without the copy protection?
A. No. Well, yes. Until we finally get rid of gnutella. And freenet. And ftp. Then no, definitely.
Q. Can I play this disc in my PC?
A. The CD will play in computers that meet the following minimum requirements:
* Internet connection
--Just the place for a snark!
USE OF THE PLAYER AND CONTENT
No Additional Charge.
There is no additional charge to you for the Player or Content.
My, that's awfully nice of them! No additional charge, eh? What a deal!
They're just reminding us that if they want, they COULD charge for it. Wanna listen to your CD on your PC? Just dial into our LicenseLine(tm) and buy a 50-minute block of FreedomToListen(tm) our latest feature!
"Hi there, I am the previous owner of this CD. If you bought this CD thinking it was new, guess again. I returned this CD to [the store I bought it from] because it is defective and will not play in many CD players and computers. I suggest you do the same. And while you're returning it, ask them how this note got into your shrink wrapped CD."
dd
...is provide a powerful enticement for consumers to purchase their music from "real" pirates. Why buy that copy-protected crap at full price when your Uncle Toby knows this guy that can get you a real CD of anything for a fraction of that?
IMO one of the most important reasons that Napster didn't obliterate the music industry overnight is that CDs are basically Good Enough. CDs provide an entire album in a nice (erm) compact package, with high fidelity to boot. This is *STILL* impressive, folks. Who cares if you can save twenty bucks by spending a couple of hours hunting down the dozen new songs by your favourite artist? Many people are simply too lazy and too rich; they just buy the goddamned CD and get it over with. (Besides, it comes in a pretty box.)
However, if commercial CDs suddenly become a big pain in the arse, you can bet your booty that alternatives will spring up.
Although consumers won't find it convenient to pirate stuff all by themselves, I imagine a full-scale bootleg distribution system will spring up fairly quickly. Although compared to Napster this structure has the disadvantage of reducing the number of actual pirates to prosecutable levels, basic economics tell us that so long as the demand is there, the supply WILL try to meet it. As with the 'war' on drugs, once can therefore expect many police hours (and therefore, tax dollars) to be spent finding and squishing a never-ending procession of infinitely-replaceable suppliers. What a pain! What an expense!
- undoware.ca
I have posted my correspondence with UMG on the topic - I'm awaiting a further reply.
I wrote to Universal's new address asking why they were going to stop making CDs I could play on my Mac. Here's the response I got, annotated:
On Wednesday, January 9, 2002, at 12:51 PM, MusicHelpOnline.com Support wrote:
Thank you for your feedback regarding copy protected CDs. We
appreciate your opinion, as the consumer experience with the music we all
love has always been a priority at the Universal Music Group.
I don't 'consume' music. I listen to it. It's still there afterwards (though I get the impression that you'd like it if it wasn't).
Unfortunately, over the last few years, the music industry has been faced
with a growing problem of unauthorized CD "ripping" leading to illegal
Internet distribution of music - a practice that is hurting everyone from
recording artists to songwriters to record stores. This illegal copying is
taking place on a massive scale, with literally millions of copies being
made without any compensation to the creators of the music.
Interesting progression of words here. The ripping is 'unauthorised'. Who needs to authorise it? Some ripped files have been illegally distributed, I'll grant you that, but then you say that 'copying' is illegal.
Under the Audio Home Recording Act, ripping and copying are not illegal at all; they are expressly permitted. You are confounding the legal acts of copying and ripping with the illegal one of distributing your copyright content without your permission. You are applying technology to attempt to prevent the former, instead of legal prosecution to prevent the latter. This is your mistake.
Your second mistake is take the word of someone that they can stop CDs from being copied. If someone can play your CD, they can redigitise the output, and rip that, and distribute it online. Its not worth my time and effort to fiddle around to rip the CDs in this way, so I won't buy them, but I'm sure the illegal distributors will work this out.
Net result: you have a lot of fed up former customers, and your music is still distributed online without your permission. Fewer people pay to listen to it, you get less money, and the illegal distribution goes on unchecked.
If a way is not found to protect the music from these abuses, recording artists,
songwriters and many others will be deprived of their livelihoods. The
changing economics could cause fewer new artists to get a chance to find
their audience.
The music is not being abused. It is being listened to. It doesn't need protection.
Or do you mean 'protection' in the sense of 'protection racket'?
Courtney Love wrote a very well-reasoned essay on who is abusing whom in the record industry.
Universal Music Group is committed to protecting the rights of our artists,
songwriters, and copyright holders, and, like the rest of the entertainment
industry, is evaluating emerging technologies to assess their viability while
also attempting to maximize the consumer experience. In addition,
Universal is exploring new ways to make music available in a variety of
online formats. We are also working with technology companies on new
offline formats that appeal to consumers.
Uh huh. Let me explain again. I have an iPod. (125,000 other people do too, and its only been on sale two months). It lets me carry around about 120 CDs worth of music at a time, in a package about the size of one CD box. I like this. I'm listening to more music than I was before because of it, and I will continue to buy CDs to rip and put into my iPod. If that isn't an offline format that appeals to consumers, I don't know what is.
However, you are explicitly working to stop me doing this. When I buy CDs at the moment, I look at the artists name, not the record label. Now I'll need to check that its not a Universal CD, in case you have 'protected' me from listening to it. This is one way of building awareness of the Universal brand, but probably not a useful one.
We have licensed copy protection technologies developed by others and
are experimenting with the integration of those technologies into some of
our CDs as a first step in measuring their effectiveness in an evolving
marketplace. While the CDs with copy protection may not be playable in a
limited number of CD players, UMG is currently working with our
technology providers to achieve 100% playability. We also hope to
include Macintosh-based playability on copy-protected discs in the future.
We have not finalized our plans for 2002 nor have we made a commitment
to put copy protection on all of our CD releases.
You hope. I'm supposed to buy your CDs on the basis of a hope that you can kludge something together? Let me make it clear. I want Red Book Audio CDs, the gold standard for Audio Quality. I don't want CDs that break this spec, with an extra data track that includes some ghastly software player with a clickthrough licence you have bought from some software snake-oil salesman.
I have some very nice software to play CDs, thanks. It also helps me organise my collection, and move it to my iPod. I don't want to run your software.
I trust that these corrupt, Red Book violating CDs will be clearly labelled as such, so I can tell not to buy them? Otherwise, I'll just have to avoid all Universal CDs until you commit to shipping Red Book ones again.
UMG has also established www.musichelponline.com to provide
consumers with support and to answer any questions you may have
concerning copy protected CDs.
We appreciate your business, and your support for the musicians who
bring so much to all of our lives.
You evidently don't appreciate my business, as you have gone out of your way to stop me playing your CDs. I'm sure your support for musicians is just as sincere.