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Coldplay's new CD has rules: No MP3s, no DVD players, no car stereos
BoingBoing ^ | 30 December 2005 | Cory Doctorow

Posted on 01/05/2006 2:29:38 PM PST by 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

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TOPICS: Music/Entertainment
KEYWORDS: cd; coldplay; copyprotection; drm
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To: conservative in nyc

Aside from my wise guy remark I agree with all you say. I don't like the RIAA and I don't like DRM. I won't be using Windows Vista if it means more DRM crap


81 posted on 01/05/2006 3:26:04 PM PST by dennisw ("What one man can do another can do" - The Edge)
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To: Petronski

Yeah, but...

The album is for sale at iTunes... $11.99 (or by song at $.99 per) for 13 songs, plus a video interview.

I fail to see what would stop me from, if I had the SLIGHTEST desire to listen to Coldplay, downloading the songs and burning a disk, which I could then rip into MP3's.

I'm afraid I just don't get it. Maybe, as someone else on the thread suggested, this is all a bad joke?


82 posted on 01/05/2006 3:30:16 PM PST by Mr. Thorne ("But iron, cold iron, shall be master of them all..." Kipling)
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To: ShadowAce

If Coldplay is gonna say "F_ck you!" to their fans, they'd better be rich enough to retire. If they are, more power to 'em; if they're not, f_ck 'em.


83 posted on 01/05/2006 3:39:25 PM PST by snarks_when_bored
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To: ShadowAce

or go to www.allofmp3.com and buy it for $2.
(grin) got to love those russian copy right laws.


84 posted on 01/05/2006 4:17:16 PM PST by postaldave (i've given up on being mad in exchange for bitter sarcasm.)
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To: ShadowAce

So who is Coldplay?


85 posted on 01/05/2006 4:47:42 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach (History is soon Forgotten,)
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To: BeHoldAPaleHorse; ShadowAce

86 posted on 01/05/2006 4:49:26 PM PST by Recovering_Democrat ((I am SO glad to no longer be associated with the party of Dependence on Government!))
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To: postaldave

I just discovered AllofMP3......I haven't left my computer in like two weeks!!


87 posted on 01/05/2006 5:11:19 PM PST by TightyRighty
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To: ShadowAce

I despise Coldplay, but I may go download this just as my own personal little "f--- you" to them and Virgin Records.


88 posted on 01/05/2006 6:40:05 PM PST by Dont Mention the War (This tagline is false.)
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To: Drew68
Yep! Why is this such a big deal now? People had been "taping" LPs and CDs onto cassettes for years.

It's a big deal now because now they have the capability to stop you, or at least try to. When personal CD recording first became technologically and financially feasible, the record companies spent several years making the claim that "What we're worried about is perfect digital copies, not those lesser-quality dupes you get a home tape deck." Then, of course, MP3 trading started to take off, almost 100% of which (at the time) was of relatively mediocre-quality files; back then most people were still using dialup, so the extra quality of a 320k MP3 weren't considered worth the time it took to upload and download. What happened? The RIAA went after them too at the first opportunity.

Lying and generally-sleazy business practices are practically required genetic traits in the record business; it's the big reason why so few people have any moral qualms about file trading. As evidence, look to the movie industry by comparison: When a movie studio puts out a DVD, they go out of their way to make it worth buying: Far better video quality than you'll get on TV (non-HDTV anyway), tons of deleted scenes and bonus features, etc., all in a package that usually costs less than a single CD. All you get with a CD is (with a few exceptions here and there) liner notes, and often not even that. And then they try to soak you for as much as $19 for the "privilege". And of that $19 (for a CD and packaging that costs about 50 cents to produce), the artist may see 75 cents to a dollar of that, if they're lucky (and they usually aren't; most non-superstar artists end up making practically nothing, and sometimes even end up owing the record company money). All the artist's cash comes from concerts.

Now keep in mind that most record companies and movie studios are owned by the same few media conglomerates. Sony Studios gives you great, inexpensive DVDS, while Sony Records tries to screw you to the wall. Q.E.D.

89 posted on 01/05/2006 6:56:25 PM PST by Dont Mention the War (This tagline is false.)
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To: Petronski
Maybe this is just a gag by Coldplay.
Maybe the "rules" are tongue-in-cheek.

Pretentious, self-important asses like Coldplay don't have any kind of sense of humor that would let them even consider creating a gag like this. Like all liberals with an overinflated sense of importance, their humor is limited to such "sophisticated" fare as fart jokes, grabbing their crotches and bashing all things Christian, conservative and American.

90 posted on 01/05/2006 6:58:13 PM PST by CFC__VRWC ("Anytime a liberal squeals in outrage, an angel gets its wings!" - gidget7)
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To: Mr. Thorne
I fail to see what would stop me from, if I had the SLIGHTEST desire to listen to Coldplay, downloading the songs and burning a disk, which I could then rip into MP3's.

You're quite correct, there's nothing stopping you, besides taste. And I've already seen perfect, bit-for-bit copies of the CD (much better quality than what you get from iTunes) floating around the usual file trading sites, where the price is $0.00.

91 posted on 01/05/2006 7:00:24 PM PST by Dont Mention the War (This tagline is false.)
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To: Dont Mention the War
All you get with a CD is (with a few exceptions here and there) liner notes, and often not even that.

Hell, for nineteen bucks, you're lucky if there's more than two tracks on that CD that are even worth listening to.

92 posted on 01/05/2006 7:03:12 PM PST by CFC__VRWC ("Anytime a liberal squeals in outrage, an angel gets its wings!" - gidget7)
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To: ShadowAce

Seems to me that if the copy protection software makes the cd "uncopiable" there should be no reason one can't return them anymore.

I'd try it and then sue in small claims just to make a point.


93 posted on 01/05/2006 7:07:37 PM PST by VeniVidiVici (What? Me worry?)
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To: ShadowAce

There are plenty of BETTER CDs that you can play on all of those devices. Wonder if their name should eb Pay=For-Play. Sony and WB were caught in payola scandals (yet again).

There is a reason music is as lame as it is today and it isn't because of a lack of talent.


94 posted on 01/05/2006 7:08:23 PM PST by weegee (Christmas - the holiday that dare not speak its name.)
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To: ShadowAce

It's hard to read the list of rules on an MP3 downloaded from a file-sharing service.


95 posted on 01/05/2006 7:09:26 PM PST by SoCal_Republican (Bubbleheads for Bush)
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To: Petronski

I can soon see ONE MORE thing added to that "agreement" for their software. That purcahse of this music CD software license does not constitute ownership and does not include any resale priviledges.

Moreso than "hometaping" killing the industry, USED CD sales impact the charts. Garth Brooks or Clint Black tried to keep his CDs out of any store that sold used product.

Only a matter of time. What do you think that "video" on a CD is? Or that "script" pdf on a DVD-ROM?

Doesn't matter if the added content is anything you WANT, all they need is to start calling it software instead of an album.


96 posted on 01/05/2006 7:13:55 PM PST by weegee (Christmas - the holiday that dare not speak its name.)
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To: FreedomNeocon

Real musicians still release their new albums on vinyl. Don't know if Coldplay merits wax these days. But if you can find it on LP, then it can be ported (legally) to other formats.


97 posted on 01/05/2006 7:15:35 PM PST by weegee (Christmas - the holiday that dare not speak its name.)
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To: Calvinist_Dark_Lord
I could crack it in under a minute with a good hammer:


98 posted on 01/05/2006 7:19:29 PM PST by weegee (Christmas - the holiday that dare not speak its name.)
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To: RJL

I doubt it is illegal, but it is against almost all store policies.

I am aware of NO store that allows you to return opened software, games, DVDs, or CDs.

Why? You could copy the DVD or CD in just a few minutes using programs like Nero and then return the product back to the store.

Ironically, I don't think there is such a policy on VHS tapes, and they can be copied just as easily as DVDs. Equipment to convert them to digital isn't as expensive as it used to be either.


99 posted on 01/05/2006 7:23:33 PM PST by rwfromkansas (http://www.xanga.com/rwfromkansas)
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To: dennisw

ditto.


100 posted on 01/05/2006 7:24:42 PM PST by rwfromkansas (http://www.xanga.com/rwfromkansas)
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