Recently, a lot of record companies are putting copy protection on their CDs that prevent people from ripping .mp3s (of course, if you look on the internet you can find ways to bypass them all). Basically what they do is build in errors on the CD that stereo equipment can filter out but CD ripping programs cannot. To me this is immoral and unethical, and it should be illegal. While I think that artists and record companies should receive money for their work, I don't see how they can be allowed to release a purposely defective product. There hasn't been any evidence supporting the .mp3s lower record sales argument and there has actually been evidence to the contrary. (i.e. record sales rose while Napster was popular and declined after it was shut down). What are the record companies thinking? Do they think that people will just put up with it? Of course, if you look at computer games, they put on copy protection that sometimes causes the computer to crash, causes people to not be able to install games, and the community just puts up with it. Is this the future for CDs? Do we want this? Opinions?
Copy protection on CDS
- Thread starter jimbobhickville
- Start date
I don't have any CDs with that problem, I was just trying to start a conversation about the ethics of the situation.
enitharmon
chemical mysteries
There is a law in Germany, that says that in the price of every album a six times(!!!) copy is included. That is every time you buy a CD, you buy the right too to make six copies of this CD and give it your friends.
The labels shouldn't take it that far... After all every code can be broken
The labels shouldn't take it that far... After all every code can be broken
Yeah, in the US we have a law that says we are entitled to make backup copies, but we aren't allowed to sell those copies. The problem is, the law doesn't prohibit the company who makes the media from trying to prevent us from copying it. To me, it seems self-destructive. If they make flawed CDs, you'd think people would just stop buying them, but they probably won't. I pointed but the example of computer games, because I think that people will just accept this situation as they do with games. Even though there have been tons of faulty CDs released, people just say "well, they have to protect their copyright". Smart people will always crack the schemes, but it becomes more and more annoying to get around them. I wonder how much more money the companies would make if they didn't worry about it. Wouldn't the money they save by not spending millions to fight the problem allow them to lower the prices on CDs (which they probably wouldn't do anyway) and sell more, thus making more money? Sure, people would still copy, but most people do actually buy the music they like. If they would rather just get the .mp3, then they wouldn't have bought it anyway. Does that justify their stealing? No, but it doesn't gain the record companies anything to spend millions combating the problem.
ledmag
New Metal Member
If there are ways around it, by cracking some ????code????, then, it seems to me the companies are throwing their money away trying to put a block on cd's..
Battle Angel
The Melancholic Angel
I think that is ludicrous. If it weren't for mp3s I would have never found out about Nevermore, In Flames, Children Of Bodom, Stormhammer, Iced Earth etc. I would never have also bought their CDs.
I believe they are shooting themselves in the foot. I hope it hurts them too...
Angel
I believe they are shooting themselves in the foot. I hope it hurts them too...
Angel
The Wanderer
Watcher of the Storm
The new absu is like that. I play most of my music on my computer, CDs and mp3's. my friend brought it over for me to borrow and i couldn't listen to it. i was pist. i made it my mission to download it off the net, and did. fuck em. the new in thy dreams i has a copy protection, i believe...its lame. we'll find ways around it.
