DRM on CDs
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| pinniped Nov 30, 2005 2:35 AM EDT |
I find this 'copy protection' nonsense on what appear to be compact disks to be incredibly offensive. Absolutely none I've bought have been clearly labelled and on all occasions I have been fooled into believing that they were CDs. At the time I normally played my CDs on a laptop; even now I usually play CDs on a computer and not on a dedicated player. In one instance I plugged my shiny new CD into the player and it made this horrible rattling and grating sound; I was afraid my laptop would be damaged (it probably was damaged by the awful vibrations). I put another (not so valuable) CD into the drive - it worked fine - no horrible noises. I look at the CD cover - in tiny smudged barely-recognizable print there was something about "copy protection". Naturally I returned the CD, and complained about it - but the retailers don't want to know why customers return the product! They only grudgingly take back the defective (and deceptively packaged) product to comply with current consumer protection laws. So I write a letter to BMG asking why they treat their customers like criminals and saying that I would really like to see any evidence that their poor treatment of customers improves their sales. No response. I now avoid buying any products from a number of companies including BMG, EMI, and now Sony. There's plenty of good music out there and still some companies who don't treat their customers like criminals. I will never pirate music, but I will never support a company which treats the customers so badly - if they have some great music then too bad - I will simply never have a copy of my own to play. As far as I can tell this whole push to criminalize the customers is borne from delusional managers who believe they can squeeze more money out of their customers. Unfortunately there are many fascist governments around the world who are happy to ignore customer's rights in favor of their corporate sponsors, so be prepared to never buy CDs from certain companies again. Imagine - you pay for this thing and you are never informed that not only is it not a proper CD, but it will secretly install software on your computer! Oh well - that is if you're one of the unfortunates who run WinDos. I run Linux so I'm still protected from those dirty tricks. Yes, these music companies are criminal entities who compromise your computer systems without your knowledge or permission. Time for some class action suits. Well, not me because I return all that crap and simply never buy from them again. |
| NoCaDrummer Nov 30, 2005 8:24 AM EDT |
As Mac or Linux users, we're probably "protected" from DRM viruses as long as Windows remains the monopoly it is. But if Linux or Mac were to gain a truly significant desktop marketshare (say, 20-30%) we'll start seeing the "entertainment industry" target those systems with mechanisms to thwart "fair use" of the products as well. I have no problem paying for a CD/DVD that allows me to enjoy some entertainment or diversion. I also have no problem with a company making a reasonable profit. But I'm already paying for DVDs that have commercials embedded in them. There's talk of the next-generation discs requiring that the consumer have an internet connection to be able to play them, charging for each play. I'm sure that if we lay down and say "it's okay" to that, we'll also be paying for the same dang commercials that we get now. The entertainment industry is making money off of my BUYING their plastic, AND from businesses putting commercials in their products. They're becoming greedier than ever. And it's not usually the artists or small producers who are reaping the profits - often they make less in a year than is required to support a family. A close friend who IS an award-winning independent film producer has been "ripped off" by several large firms who either won't pay his agreed-upon fees, or blatantly use his work without compensating him. He often is in court defending his work against the likes of Sony, Warner, and broadcast/cable TV. Because he's NOT rich, his one lawyer faces an army of lawyers, and often has to "settle" for much less money than he would be due. I wonder if the "big" producers or artists have the same issues? |
| jdixon Nov 30, 2005 1:45 PM EDT |
> But I'm already paying for DVDs that have commercials embedded in them. I believe the practice of commercials on DVD's started with the pornography industry. That gives you clue as to how low Sony, the MPAA, and their ilk have sunk. |
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