It follows the decision by record companies to introduce new
copy-protected CDs into the shops which are designed to function
differently from normal CDs in that they allow the record companies
to control consumers' usage of music. The new CDs are intended to
prevent “ripping” of CDs by customers which enables re-distribution
on file-sharing networks such as Gnutella or Aimster.
The CDR says that the new format curtails customers' choice as
to which playback systems they may use and when, and prevents legal
copying of music.
Most of the copy protection schemes involve the introduction of
deliberate errors in the music or track data, which prevent the
normal operation of particular types of CD players, specifically
many CD-ROM drives, Playstations and DVD drives, all of which are
used by consumers for listening to music. The CRR argues that these
errors may decrease the durability of the disks, by increasing the
vulnerability to scratches.
More disturbingly, according to the CDR, the use of some of the
new breed of CDs is to be mediated via the internet:
“If a customer takes a CD controlled by the
scheme marketed by US firm SunnCom out of an audio CD player and
places it in her computer, she may find herself taken to an
internet web site and required to trade her personal details in
return for a ‘licence’ to listen to the music she believed she had
already bought. In the event that a customer has no internet
connection, or if the firm mediating access were to go bust, the CD
would be rendered useless on a customer's computer.”
The CDR also claims that the protection mechanisms can easily be
circumvented by those intent on doing so, while innocent consumers
have no way to restore the sound quality, repair damaged CDs or
avoid the inconvenience these measures impose.
Julian Midgley, Leader of the UK Campaign for Digital Rights,
said:
"If the record industries want to experiment
with copy protection, let them do so in their laboratories, and not
at the expense of the general public. And if they want to sell
these CDs, let them make the warning labels prominent and
truthful."
The UK Campaign for Digital Rights will be compiling a database
of all affected titles, and asks anyone who comes across a CD that
won't play successfully on their equipment to send details to
dodgy-cd@uk.eurorights.org.
