EMI and Sony Lose Lawsuit Over Crippled Music Disks

neves writes "A brazilian consumer has sued EMI and Sony, and won! The reason was a copy protection technology in the best seller album "Tribalistas" that didn't play in his car. You can read about it in Folha de São Paulo (babelfish translation here), brazilian biggest newspaper. They must be very afraid, since EMI vice-president defended the company himself in a lawsuit involving less than US$ 350,00. A more detailed report is in my music site Agenda do Samba & Choro (babelfish here), where we release some of the lawsuit files to make it easier for others to sue them. Since last year, we are calling for a boycott (babelfish) of copy protected albums. The companies appealed, and said that they will take the case to the Supreme Court, because it is a 'question of principles'. The consumer is sueing them again, because all new EMI albums in Brazil are being released with copy protection and won't work in his car."

Comments

Another Chewbacca defense

[Anonymous Coward]

In the "Chef Aid" episode, Chef is accused of trying to steal the song "Stinky Britches," which he really wrote many years ago. The record company takes Chef to court, and they hire Johnny Cochran to prosecute Chef. The whole town is wondering if he will use his famous "Chewbacca Defense," which he used during the O.J. Simpson trial. Here's a transcript:

Ladies and gentlemen of the supposed jury, I have one final thing I want you to consider: (pulling down a diagram of Chewie) this is Chewbacca. Chewbacca is a Wookiee from the planet Kashyyyk, but Chewbacca lives on the planet Endor. Now, think about that. That does not make sense! (jury looks shocked)

Why would a Wookiee -- an eight foot tall Wookiee -- want to live on Endor with a bunch of two foot tall Ewoks? That does not make sense!

But more importantly, you have to ask yourself: what does that have to do with this case? (calmly) Nothing. Ladies and gentlemen, it has nothing to do with this case! It does not make sense!

Look at me, I'm a lawyer defending a major record company, and I'm talkin' about Chewbacca. Does that make sense? Ladies and gentlemen, I am not making any sense. None of this makes sense.

And so you have to remember, when you're in that jury room deliberating and conjugating the Emancipation Proclamation... does it make sense? No! Ladies and gentlemen of this supposed jury, it does not make sense.

If Chewbacca lives on Endor, you must acquit! The defense rests.

Later in that same episode, Cochran has a change of heart and defends Chef when Chef sues the record company. Again, he uses the Chewbacca Defense, although with some minor changes:

Ladies and gentlemen of this supposed jury, you must now decided whether to reverse the decision for my client Chef. I know he seems guilty, but ladies and gentlemen... (pulling down a diagram of Chewbacca) This is Chewbacca. Now think about that for one moment -- that does not make sense. Why am I talking about Chewbacca when a man's life is on the line? Why? I'll tell you why: I don't know.

It does not make sense. If Chewbacca does not make sense, you must acquit!

(pulling a monkey out of his pocket) Here, look at the monkey. Look at the silly monkey! (one of the juror's heads explodes)

Eventually, Chef wins the case and all is well.

fp

[Anonymous Coward]

Frurst post fpfpfp! -Anonymous Trolloser

Re:I wonder how effective this will be...

[Anonymous Coward]

Fuck these mexican salad tossers!

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o_/_____\_____________\____________/____\_______o_ _
a|_______|_____________\__________|______|______a_ _
t|_______`._____________|_________|_______:_____t_ _
s`________|_____________|________\|_______|_____s_ _
e_\_______|_/_______/__\\\___--___\\_______:____e_ _
x__\______\/____--~~__________~--__|_\_____|____x_ _
*___\______\_-~____________________~-_\____|____*_ _
g____\______\_________.--------.______\|___|____g_ _
o______\_____\______//_________(_(__>__\___|____o_ _
a_______\___.__C____)_________(_(____>__|__/____a_ _
t_______/\_|___C_____)/_Hola_\_(_____>__|_/_____t_ _
s______/_/\|___C_____)__cock_|__(___>___/__\____s_ _
e_____|___(____C_____)\lechón/__//__/_/_____\___e_ _
x_____|____\__|_____\\_________//_(__/_______|__x_ _
*____|_\____\____)___`----___--'_____________|__*_ _
g____|__\______________\_______/____________/_|_g_ _
o___|______________/____|_____|__\____________|_o_ _
a___|_____________|____/_______\__\___________|_a_ _
t___|__________/_/____|_________|__\___________|t_ _
s___|_________/_/______\__/\___/____|__________|s_ _
e__|_________/_/________|____|_______|_________|e_ _
x__|__________|_________|____|_______|_________|x_ _
*_g_o_a_t_s_e_x_*_g_o_a_t_s_e_x_*_g_o_a_t_e_x_*_

Important Stuff: Please try to keep posts on topic. Try to reply to other people's comments instead of starting new threads. Read other people's messages before posting your own to avoid simply duplicating what has already been said. Use a clear subject that describes what your message is about. Offtopic, Inflammatory, Inappropriate, Illegal, or Offensive comments might be moderated. (You can read everything, even moderated posts, by adjusting your threshold on the User Preferences Page) If you want replies to your comments sent to you, consider logging in or creating an account.

Important Stuff: Please try to keep posts on topic. Try to reply to other people's comments instead of starting new threads. Read other people's messages before posting your own to avoid simply duplicating what has already been said. Use a clear subject that describes what your message is about. Offtopic, Inflammatory, Inappropriate, Illegal, or Offensive comments might be moderated. (You can read everything, even moderated posts, by adjusting your threshold on the User Preferences Page) If you want replies to your comments sent to you, consider logging in or creating an account.

Important Stuff: Please try to keep posts on topic. Try to reply to other people's comments instead of starting new threads. Read other people's messages before posting your own to avoid simply duplicating what has already been said. Use a clear subject that describes what your message is about. Offtopic, Inflammatory, Inappropriate, Illegal, or Offensive comments might be moderated. (You can read everything, even moderated posts, by adjusting your threshold on the User Preferences Page) If you want replies to your comments sent to you, consider logging in or creating an account.

Greetings from Kabul

[Anonymous Coward]

Junis Speaks!!!!!

Kabul now has internet cafes, huh? Now we know where Katz is!! =)

Run a spellcheck on the article

[Anonymous Coward]

It's suing not "sueing".

Don't you forget the Gummi Bears!

[Anonymous Coward]

"Dashing and daring, courageous and caring,
faithful and friendly with stories to share
All the through the forest they sing out in chorus,
Marching along as their song fills the air Gummi Bears! Bouncing here and there and everywhere.
High adventure that's beyond compare. They are the Gummi Bears. Magic and mystery, are part of their history, Along with the secret, of gummiberry juice. Their legend is growing, they take pride in knowing, They'll fight for what's right, in whatever they do. Gummi Bears!
Bouncing here and there and everywhere. High adventure that's beyond compare. They are the Gummi Bears. They are the Gummi Bears!" - Theme song of Gummi Bears, cartoon TV show

In related news

[Hogwash McFly]

Wendy Rowland from RODA (Rights Of the Disabled Association) is campaigning to end the usage of the term 'crippled music disks'. The phrase, along with 'crippled CDs' and 'crippled RIAA DRM bullshit' is now a part of common vocabulary due to the recent introduction of copy protected CDs from major record labels in an attempt to combat music piracy, something that has boomed in the past couple of years.

'My brother lost both legs in 'Nam. I believe that this "word", that I can't even bring myself to say, is both offensive and disgusting' Rowland says.

Rowland has also been an active campaigner against words such as spastic, leper and retard

'I have no problem with people's concern about these devices - my son is a heavy Kazaa user himself - but I believe that a new term should be associated with these disks. Please let this old fashioned word die out'

The irony of standardization..

[mumblestheclown]

An irony of "standardization" is that that some of the pro-open standards crowd insists on using the comma-to-indicate-decimals notation that has is used essentially only in northern europe. it's time for that convention to die.

If it doesn't work, can I sue?

[garyebickford]

"The consumer is sueing them again, because all new EMI albums in Brazil are being released with copy protection and won't work in his car."

I'm regularly plagued with software that has been written by Windows-centric morons that won't work on my machine. Can I sue them? Can I sue Microsoft for all those buggy FrontPage-generated web pages?

More seriously, If I used NTFS using non-MS file servers, could I sue MS for tweaking their version of Kerberos so my file servers don't work with XP? (Caveat - my understanding of that situation is minimal, I may have stated it incorrectly. But the idea...)