Copy protection

I just had the pleasure of buying a new CD (2 actually) of which one had "copy protection". Now .. I own an iPod and love using it and I don't really have any decent CD players in Gent. Do you see where this is going? I am now wondering what the CD industry is trying to do with their idiotic policy. I don't really feel a lot of respect towards me, the consumer, on whose money they all live, party, do drugs, hookers, tats & whatnot! EVERYTHING they do is about me, well not about me, but about the group of people I belong to. The people who BUY their stuff. Some people (probably members of the aforementioned industry) might ask why I buy Cd's to put on my iPod. The Industry has judged that if I want music for my iPod, I should buy my music over the internet and directly download it to my pod. Now for those who try to press that measure upon me.. There are a number of reasons why I DONT download buy my music but prefer to buy old fashion Cd's instead!
1. I like the art.. The cover, the back, the picture on the disk.. I like to check out the booklet and if they are so kind to bring out a special edition, I like to buy that special edition (like that Yummy edition I got from the Gorillaz, Demon Days.. Just great.. with DVD & ..)
2. I wont lose a CD, I might lose the data on my iPod / Hard disk (crashes ..)
3. I don't own a credit card.. Try to buy ANYTHING online without that!
4. I like to be able to put it on on a normal CD player back home
5. My provider has limited download. I buy LOADS of music.. I don't want to be stuck, wanting music but not being able to download because of the limit. I need it for data. As for paying to get a higher limit? Please refer to 6.
6. I don't have unimaginable loads of money! If they charge me a €1 a track price, Ill pay €22 for a full CD instead of the €17 I buy Cd's for. Now I do imagine them giving a full CD discount and even dropping the price a bit to even go under the CD price (which would only be fair, I mean, they don't have to ship it, print art, the boxes, ....) I still have to spend money on hard disks to put my songs on, because iPods crash. Its a hard disk you walk around with, its only normal things go wrong sometimes! So I need a hard disk in my computer big enough to store my music on. AND, if I want to have a backup, I need another hard disk and time to configure a raid setup. OK, raid might not be necessary but I d at least have to burn it on a CD or whatever which ALL translates to More Cost! I have to pay More money to get the same music, without all the fancy hardware involved with a real CD! Sounds like a ripoff!
7. I just Loathe the attitude

So, I prefer Cd's and I have some heavy arguments to do so. (and even if I didn't have decent arguments.. I AM free to decide what to do with my own money, no?)

I got myself some new Cd's :) I got into my car, took one of the Cd's and put it in, desperately curious to hear their New music :) After putting it in I checked out the CD case once more and noticed the Copy Protection. This would mean I'm fucked. Luckily I know a lil about computers and realise that this copy protection is Utter Crap :) So I got home and uploaded my freshly bought music to my beloved iPod. If I bought the music, I have the right to listen to it, no? Next step is to put the nice Cd's with the rest of my music, safely at home where only dust can harm it. The way I like it, babey!

As you might notice, that copy crap didn't prevent me putting it on my iPod. It might have prevented it if I wouldn't have the tech knowledge I gathered trough life so far. I put it into 2 PCs so far, one of them a win2k box with some updates but certainly not all of the most recent. Result on the w2k box? The music didn't play & told me to install updates.

In the end, what did the copy protection do..
As a tech user I was able to put it on my pod without problems, as I would an unprotected CD
As average person, with a normal computer, on the other hand.. It PREVENTED me LISTENING to my newly bought CD!
To me, right now, it looks like their protection 's only use is bothering the average person who buys a CD.

And where did the time go when data parts on Cd's contained nice extra content? A movie, a wallpaper, an interview .. instead of some lame "copy protection"


Now.. every rant is quite cheap f you only comment and don't put anything positive in, a solution, a positive point, ..

I don't think its feasible, developing a foolproof copy protection with current technology. Outlawing certain technology to make it possible is pure Nazi thinking. (I'm now thinking about the proposition in the USA to outlaw devices that convert analog media to digital content - technology for the chosen few, withholding it from the masses.. I can understand we want to do this with weapons - but harmless hardware?) Auto-running a program to prevent ripping the media using a computer is abusive towards the client, the consumer and will not solve anything. Licencing over internet will exclude people without internet, ..

What is the solution then? A shift in philosophy towards the whole thing. Offer a reason to buy the official goods instead of illegally copying it. POSITIVE action instead of pestering everyone who loves music.
A renewed respect towards the client, the consumer, the People!




More important now :)
I had a Very Nice waking this morning :)
I wont go into it but Vi is just Great :D

hehehe :D