p2pnet - rss feed: DRM ruins Coldplay album
p2p news / p2pnet: EMI digital restrictions software has crippled Coldplay’s latest CD X&Y so much that it’s virtually unplayable, says ConsumerAffairs.com.
And when buyers find this out, they won’t be able to return the polluted discs.
Coldplay label Capitol Records, owned by EMI, “has installed extremely restrictive digital rights management (DRM) on the CD,” says the story, going on:
“Although the disc packaging does clearly state that the CD is copy-protected, the buyer doesn’t know exactly what the restrictions are until they’ve bought the CD and opened it up.
“Worse, the restrictions prevent the CD from being returned or exchanged unless there is a “manufacturing defect.”
ConsumerAffairs.com says the DRM means the CD can’t be played in “some” CD players, CD-recordable or rewritable hard drives, DVD players, game consoles such as a Playstation or Xbox, and prevents any attempt to copy the CD or “rip” the tracks to mp3 format.
“The CD’s restrictions also prevent it from being played or copied on Macintosh PCs,” the story adds.
EMI is a member of the Big Four Organized Music cartel which is currently using various ‘trade’ units such as the RIAA in the US and BPI in Britain, home to Coldplay, to try to sue customers into buying over-priced, lo-fi digital downloads.
Another OM member, Sony BMG, is currently in very public and on-going disgrace for using its music CDs to sneak hidden DRM spyware into buyers’ computers.
Both companies, together with the other two OM mermbers, Warner Music and Vivendi Universal, are also presently the subjects of a download overpricing probe by New York attorney general Eliot Spitzer.
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UPDATE: "I’ve actually ripped it using two different audio programs with no problem," posts a p2pnet reader. "Audiograbber with LAME as an MP3 encoder and more recently (and much better IMHO) EAC to grab the uncompressed .wav files and then FLAC for a perfect lossless copy. EAC in secure mode with audio caching disabled is probably the best way to go for any disc DRM infected or not, haven’t run into a problem yet. Also, Audiograbber, LAME, EAC and FLAC are all either open source or freeware so no need to buy any commercial software."
Also See:
Coldplay - Coldplay download record, June 16, 2005
ConsumerAffairs.com - Coldplay Can’t Play, January 4, 2005
overpricing probe - Big Music mp3 price fixing, December 24, 2005
January 5th, 2006 at 1:27 pm
Wouldn’t the fact that it can’t play on CD players make it a manufacturing defect? I would just love it if they released this DRM in the UK - since the Coldplay album still carries the Compact Disk Digital Audio logo, they could be taken to court by our Trading Standards department for violating the Trade Descriptions Act (in theory, I’m not a lawyer and this is not legal advice).
January 5th, 2006 at 1:31 pm
Im sure it’ll work ok in a pc if you held down the shift button while inserting it or just turning off the autoplay, same with all DRM’ed CD’s.
Oops, am I gonna get sued for saying that?
January 5th, 2006 at 2:08 pm
Even with all the DRM on the disc, it’s still not a problem to rip to your HD. I bought a copy of the CD after having downloaded a copy to make sure that it was actually worth purchasing. Ran into a few minor glitches with my car CD player but it would still play. Since I only ever carry around copies of CD’s and not the actual CD’s themselves (soft cases tend to reduce the lifespan of CD’s drastically) I set around ripping it and it was actually really easy, didn’t run into any problems.
I’ve actually ripped it using two different audio programs with no problem, Audiograbber with LAME as an MP3 encoder and more recently (and much better IMHO) EAC to grab the uncompressed .wav files and then FLAC for a perfect lossless copy. EAC in secure mode with audio caching disabled is probably the best way to go for any disc DRM infected or not, haven’t run into a problem yet. Also, Audiograbber, LAME, EAC and FLAC are all either open source or freeware so no need to buy any commercial software.
January 5th, 2006 at 3:41 pm
thats if you were silly enough to buy it, downloading it is much safer and i bagged a high quality rip months ago with no drm bullshit on it
January 5th, 2006 at 8:04 pm
Usually these type of “copy protected” CDs don’t have the compact disc logo as far as I know.
January 5th, 2006 at 11:55 pm
Hello all,
I am one of those liberals…or conservatives (depending on which side you come down on) that buys CDs and feels that the price isn’t too high when there is quality music to be had. Anyways, I read this thread at work (shame on me) and was worried since I try not to buy DRM discs.
Anyways, I came home and my X & Y (bought from Best Buy on the released date) had no indication of DRM anywhere on the artwork or in the manual.
Did the label add this DRM later?
Confused,
statefunction
January 9th, 2006 at 1:00 pm
I had a chat with “Consumer Direct” in the UK today, they agree its a p*ss take……..two points that need airing.
1. if the receipt/advice note from the store says “compact disc”, then you do have an issue with the trader. many smaller stores and online suppliers may not realise this yet.
2. All complaints to Consumer Direct are logged and those logs are seen by the DTI and OFT, so in the long run, complain abou this to Consumer Direct so that Governement depts know we are being ripped off by the pigopolists.
The arroance of the music biz is breathtaking, instead of overcharging us and rigging the charts with airplay (how does inclusion of *computer generated radio station playlists* rank the most popular tracks in the uk?)
Its time to put these parasites who live off of the bands back in thier place.
January 9th, 2006 at 4:06 pm
I would like to hear Coldplay’s opinion on this. One thing people could do is to write a letter to the band explaining why you are not buying their CD. The band probably can’t do anything immediately as I’m sure the current contract allows the record company to poison their CD’s with DRM. What a popular band can do is when it is time to renegotiate the contract, insist that they have full rights over what goes into their CD’s and forbid the record company from putting in any DRM without the bands express, written permission.