Copy Controlled¶
237 words on Music
So I accidentally bought a CD with copy ‘protection’. The problem with it was that I didn’t actually notice that immediately because it’s not exactly printed in a gigantic size across the cover and the CD could be used and ripped by iTunes just fine. Only much later I discovered that there’s this strange note on the CD and – upon double checking on the computer – noticed that a second partition with a crippled playback application is on the CD.
And while I still fear that its intrinsic brokenness will render the CD unplayable in the future, what exactly is the point of this? Who’d want to use that crappy playback program they include when they have a perfectly good and user-friendly copy of iTunes installed? Heck, their playback program seems to be based on Microsoft technology. And ever since Internet Explorer for Mac was retired, having a Microsoft (code) free computer seemed not only like a good but also like a realistic idea.
Record companies need to go to hell urgently! And they need to make sure to take their technology and marketing people with them. The bands who are with those clueless companies need to make sure they watch their own output as well. With the hassle and insults that come with the ‘copy controlled’ idea, respect is lost quickly. And the good old world of file sharing networks starts looking attractive once more.
