So you’ve probably read this rant a million times before but it’s finally happened to me so I’m gonna rehash it.
Copy protection is stupid. It is wrong and in my case poorly implemented. I was given a copy of Disco 3 for my birthday and I finally picked it up last night. EMI, in their stupidity have copy protected it. The only way to play the CD on my computer is to have the CD in my drive and use their proprietary player.
Big deal, I hear them cry. Be lucky we let you play it all.
EMI need to learn the following things.
When I buy a CD I expect to be able to do with it as I want. If I want to play it in my Media Player I should be able to. If this means copying the music I have paid to listen to I should be able to do this as well. I can make an audio cassette or mini-disc of it, why have you decided I can’t listen to it from the convenience of my PC?
This is the year 2003. People have IPODs, MP3 players and computers. Believe it or not people like to listen to music on these things. CD’s are now a distribution medium, not necessarily the listening medium.
Technology exists that allows me to make copies on to hard drives but not burn these copies on to other CD’s. Use this, if you must.
I firmly believe that if you made these tracks available for purchase online your big fear of piracy and free illegal distribution would almost disappear overnight. Don’t believe me? Look at Apple’s success with iTunes. People want to purchase music this way. I know I want to. You won’t lose money, you’ll gain money. It really is very simple.
EMI – I will not purchase any more Cd’s from you until you remove this stupid system. As it is Audiograbber apparently allows you to rip the tracks so all you’ve done is slow me down a little, make me angry with your company and lose future sales. Well done.