Coldplay's new CD has rules: No MP3s, no DVD players, no car stereos

BoingBoing ^ | 30 December 2005 | Cory Doctorow

[ShadowAce]

Coldplay's new CD has rules: No MP3s, no DVD players, no car stereos

Coldplay's new CD comes with an insert that discloses all the rules enforced by the DRM they included on the disc. Of course, these rules are only visible after you've paid for the CD and brought it home, and as the disc's rules say, "Except for manufacturing problems, we do not accept product exchange, return or refund," so if you don't like the rules, that's tough.

What are the other rules? Here are some gems: "This CD can't be burnt onto a CD or hard disc, nor can it be converted to an MP3" and "This CD may not play in DVD players, car stereos, portable players, game players, all PCs and Macintosh PCs." Best of all, the insert explains that this is all "in order for you to enjoy a high quality music experience." Now, that's quality.

I wonder how Coldplay feels about their fans getting all these rules set down for them by the music label? I wonder if most fans who read these rules will be wise enough to blame corporate, or whether they'll just decide to dig up a band whose label treats them like customers, not crooks? It's amazing how the labels always seem to come up with new ways of screwing artists: if they're not cheating them out of royalties, they're systematically alienating their fan-base.

Link

(via Digg)

[TX Bluebonnet]

Won't play in your car or on your computer (office)? Why buy it? I hope its a bargain, because its certainly not worth full price.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

knickname gwentyh's ex boyfriends call her.

[TX Bluebonnet]

They should put a label on the OUTSIDE of the package that says:

"You may be able to play this CD, You may not. Are you feeling lucky?"

[Prime Choice]

Maybe this is just a gag by Coldplay. Maybe the "rules" are tongue-in-cheek.

In comedy, timing is crucial. If this is a joke, then timing it on the heels of the Sony anti-piracy debacle shows an incredible lack of appreciation of public disdain for such nonsense.

[TravisBickle]

I think the record companies wish they could go back to this:

[RJL]

You just can't outright return opened CDs (or DVDs) per copyright laws.

Is this literally true? I find it hard to believe that federal law prohibits one from returning an opened CD or DVD.

[Hank Rearden]

Never heard of this band - is it as pretentiously-ridiculous as their name would imply?

[R. Scott]

So to listen to it in the car, the buyer would have to copy it to an old fashioned cassette.

[KoRn]

"LOL! They should change their band name to "Noplay"!"

rofl!

[Chode]

guess they never heard of a "Patch Cord"

[Chuzzlewit]

arrghhh.. funeral Metrosexual dirge music... "oh.. I"m so sensitive... "... give me a frickin break... I really can't stand their schtuff...

[Petronski]

I glanced at your post and thought you were suggesting



"You just bought a Coldplay CD. Don't you feel icky?"


;OP

[reagan_fanatic]

Can't you just put it on a standard CD player, run the line-out audio into your computer and burn it anyway?

[conservative in nyc]

You should care. This isn't about cheesy Coldplay or it's lead singer, liberal Mr. Gweneth Paltrow.

It's about a record company deliberately creating a product that doesn't work with some CD players without affirmatively labeling it as such, and instead sneaking a filler inside saying, "sorry sucker... I mean customer... if you can't play it, you've just wasted your money and you're not getting it back!". It's about the RIAA once again going overboard based on the legal protections that should have never been given to them under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act in the first place. And, if you read the blog linked in one of the responses, it's about Microsoft teaming up with the RIAA to force people to use Windows and Windows Media Player for DRM products, despite WMP's spyware-like qualities.

[Emmet Fitzhume]

"Stupid.. just typically, and bureaucratically stupid."

Precisely. I miss the Smashing Pumpkins because they were the polar opposite of Coldplay.

SP released their last album (Machina 2) directly onto the internet. They did this because Billy Corgan felt that the music and fanbase were more important than the money.

Lastly, Coldplay is alternative rock, is it not? Doesn't this action go against the typical anti-establishment theme in most "alternative rock" songs?

[TX Bluebonnet]

"You just bought a Coldplay CD. Don't you feel icky?"

LOL Well, that might be more appropriate!

[Battle Hymn of the Republic]

coldplay... anti-american, bush hating, hollywood liberals.

[SuziQ]

Well, that's a bummer. I like the idea of copying a CD that I have in my player at home, for use in my car. I got this idea from a friend who lost a bunch of CDs in an automobile accident. Her insurance would not cover the value of the CDs, so she doesn't take her originals in her car anymore.

[rwfromkansas]

I think I will download some illegal mp3s (even though Coldplay sucks) to stick it to them.

"Best of all, the insert explains that this is all "in order for you to enjoy a high quality music experience." Now, that's quality."

And 9/11 was to "teach us a lesson." ha.

[rwfromkansas]

mp3s don't have viruses that I am aware of, only exe's.