Sony, EMI, Universal Music and BMG are being sued by a Belgian
consumer watchdog after more than 200 consumers complained that
they could not make back-up copies of copy-protected CDs or play
them on some CD players.
Copy-protected CDs represent one response by the music industry
to the growth in music piracy. The CDs contain an extra layer of
data that prevents the disc from being successfully copied and
restricts the types of players that the CD can play on to static or
portable Hi-Fi systems.
Four of the five major record companies have been taken to court
by Belgium-based Test-Achats, also known as Test-Aankoop. The
watchdog is asking the court to prohibit the four music giants from
releasing CDs containing copy-protection technology and to refund
their customers.
Reuters quotes Mechels Ivo of Test-Achats saying: "We are trying
to establish legal precedent in this matter. Then we expect other
consumer organizations will follow".
In response, the International Federation of the Phonographic
Industry (IFPI), a trade group for the industry, commented:
"European law is clear that record companies and other copyright
holders have the right to protect their works through technical
means".
