Copy-protected CDs - philosophical discussion


My previous copy-protection thread probably deserves a follow-up since the issue is just as troubling ethically/legally/philosophically as it is technically.

Record companies are selling CDs which do not play on a PC's CD player. However, the CDs are not identified as such and, according to at least one source, may have trouble playing on high-end systems and car CD players.

Here's the news story:
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-6604222.html

Here's an unofficial list of copy-protected CDs, authored by a guy whose opinion on the matter should be quite obvious:
http://fatchucks.com/corruptcds/corrupt.html

Reserving the technical discussion and "can you actually hear it" discussions for my previous thread, what are your feelings on the softer side of this issue, especially given the vast amount of software that we collectively gave/received over the past couple of weeks?

Don't hold back, now!

FWIW, my take is that this is just another case of technology scaring the crap out of a lumbering entrenched industry with severely dated business models because the geeks are infinitely smarter and more creative than the suits can ever hope to be. Just like the lawsuit against Napster, it may succeed in its immediate goal (for a month or so), but misses the real point completely. Alienating customers who are not criminals is bad business. For many of us Audiogoners, I imagine the presence of "all but inaudible" distortion on a recording is reason enough to avoid it like the plague. The music business is not about “clicks and pops”; it's about music.
powerste
tim: have another beer, listen to you new pre-dac and go to bed. i think i get what you're tryin' to say but your sentences can't be parsed. onhwy61 is not a bomb-tossin' anarchist. his posts most always deserve respect. mine and yours. - cfb
Well first of all I don't drink beer, nor do I drink any more at all so I am unable to follow instructions(what's new). I never claimed he was an anarchist nor am I attacking his integrity but if he claims to be an audiophile and is yet willing to sacrafice quality for the dollar, it doesn't add up. Keep in mind Onhwy61 my coment was made all in jest and not meant to be taken literally(please don't wonder mindlessly on highway 61), I just feel it is an unusual perspective for an audiophile to hold. All kidding aside I think my earlier reply today makes sense, this isn't English class, you(Kelly) and I usually see eye to eye; though we are allowed our own opinions. Perhaps it is my age that allows me to act prior to the thought process completing its proper cycle, or all the freaking Aristotle I have been reading- translations to English yield less then superior grammer(I think it has been rubbing off). Oh yea and in regards to my statement made on 12-27-01, that was writen/typed in about 30 sec. in a fit of rage! I hope I can not be held accountable for that.
Happy Holidays,
Tim
tim: sometimes i can't slough off my tendancies to act as a parental unit, for which i apologize.. i do, however, most respectfully suggest you reread onhwy61's last 2 posts. his model is, in fact, designed to promote, not denigrate, the interests of those who proudly wear the mantle named "audiophile." -kelly
I stand corrected, I misunderstood his view, I hope Onhwy61 will accept my most humble appologize. I think I will now take your advice and enjoy the pre ;) Thanks for clearing the fog, which for some reason always seems to be clouding my vision. Good night

Tim
My earlier posts were written to express what I believe to be the attitude of the major recording labels. The heart of my hypothetical proposal is to exchange an absolute safeguard against unauthorized copying for a dramatic lowering in consumer prices. Cornfedboy has pointed out several valid problems with my position. It may not be financially viable and it is doubtful that the recording corporations would actually lower their prices.

Another point I was trying to get across is that audiophiles represent a very small percentage of the music buying public. Rightly or not, our fascination with sound quality is not widely shared. I point to the emergence of the MP3 format as evidence of what the general public is willing to accept regarding sound quality. Tireguy points out that there are several audiophile oriented music companies, but I would speculate that the combined sales of the six labels he mentioned in a decade is less than the sales of Sony/Columbia in any given week. The audiophile market is a very minor blip on the screen. It's a niche market that can easily be taken over by the major labels. Mosiac has done a marvelous job with their comphrehensive jazz reissues. How long did it take for Sony/Columbia to recognize the market opportunity and start limiting Mosiac's access to their catalog while they simultaneously released the reissues on their own Legacy label?

I make the assumption that any copy protection encoding will be audible under some set of circumstances. Whether we like it or not, it probably will be an important element of the music distribution future.