I took my first copy-controlled CD back to the shop today. It was Massive Attack's 100th Window. I had bought it desipite the fact that it is probably not politically correct to buy Massive Attack CDs right now. When I got it home, someone on IRC mentioned that a much better reason to avoid it was that it was copy-controlled, at least in the UK.
So I looked at my Australian copy, and there it was, the small sticker on the front of the jewel-case that proclaimed that what I had bought wasn't really a CD, just an imitation CD that was broken just enough so that it only played in the lower grade of audio CD players, and on Windows systems.
Such a product is totally useless to me. I firmly believe that any CD store that sells something like that to me without clearly warning me that what I am buying is not really a CD, is dealing in misleading and deceptive conduct as defined by our various fair-trading laws. And a little sticker isn't enough, thankyou very much. CDs are covered in stickers these days, and until the copy-control sticker is a widely known and looked-for symbol, nothing short of a warning at the counter by the sales assistant will do.
I took the not-CD back to the store. I may very well download it from the Internet (where it is readily available, despite the copy-control) as an act of protest.
For the record:
I own Mezzanine, and probably would have bought this CD on my next visit to the record store, but having read this post I certainly will not. (I am in Ireland and it is likely they sell the same brain-damaged not-CD here.)
The politically-correct question would not have entered my buying decision either; I consciously ignore the police/media-fuelled child porn witch-hunts going on in Ireland and the UK at the moment.
The internet is where I got my copy (of 100th window), the day before it was released, no less.
I bought the afore mentioned CD in Canada some days ago. Being a bussy guy with little time on my hands, I have not had a chance to listen to it (or NOT listen to it) untill today. My Toshiba DVD player refuses to read the disk saying there is a Fatal Disk Error. My computer CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives refuse to read the disk saying it is not a valid disk.
I have a number of copy protected CDs in my collection, and this is the first time I have run across one that will not play. And for this I am furious. Neither Virgin music, EMI nor Massive Attack should have the right to waste other people's money in this manner.
And for the reccord, there is NO warning sticker on the Canadian version of the CD!
I just bought the massive attack cd today and was looking forward to hear it. That wasn't possible. It won't play on my cd player and because I'm a mac user I can't do that either.
What a f.... waste of time and money.
Shame on you, massive attack.
i have 100th window in mp3 form ripped at 192kbps. if you still want it, hit me up.
Thank-you for the offer, but I changed my mind. I would rather go without, I think, than prove the record company right by stealing the music.