Celine Dion kills iMacs! [Actually it's CD Copy Protection, But That's Not As Funny]] (1 Viewer)

[John P Grosskopf]

Below is part of an article from MACUser I recevied this morning concerning CD software and copy protection:
"...attempting to play the latest Celine Dion CD in a new iMac will result in the machine having to be sent for repair.
Celine's latest offering - A New Day Has Come - features copy-protection to prevent it being played and duplicated in a PC, and that same copy-protection was believed to be capable of damaging the PC's firmware...once the CD is inserted into a new iMac it cannot be removed and the machine cannot be restarted.
...CDs from Sony-owned companies such as Epic and Columbia may also pose a threat. These include the soundtrack for Star Wars Episode II and discs from Shakira, Jennifer Lopez and Destiny's Child. The CDs carry a small warning stating 'Will not work on PC/Mac'.
Check these sites out for more information:
Link Removed
Link Removed
http://www.fatchucks.com/z3.cd.html
You can get a list of which CD's cause this problem from the above sites. Be CAREFUL!!!!!"
So for I think only Apple computers are really at danger of any sort of damage from this new software copyguard scheme. I can confirm that the Episode II: Attack of the Clones CD available in the U.S. does not have the copyguard, as I have both played and made a fair-use backup clone for personal use in my home on a VAIO PC, as well as played it in my Power Mac at work.
Big Brother's at work again. Maybe the reasoning is like this: "If we disable their computers, they can't burn CDs."
I call this the "Mission Immpossible" anti-copy scheme: "If you choose to copy this CD, your PC will self destruct in 5 seconds."
If they can figure out a way to do this with books and magazines, libraries will burst into flames across the country everytime someone tries to make a XEROX copy of an article for a term paper!
What will they think of next?...DIVX...(oops, they already tried that one).

 

[Malcolm R]

I thought the US version of Celine's album did NOT have copy protection? There are no warnings/disclaimers on the case. Maybe the iMac's just truly do not like Celine?

 

[Ted Todorov]

Apple has actually posted a warning/technote about these pretend "CDs". Link Removed to view it.
And here for the Slashdot article.
Go ahead, record companies: damage your customers' expensive computer equipment and see how eager they are for the next $19.99 "CD" you try to sell them.
Ted

 

[John P Grosskopf]

I think the US tests are/were very limited up untill now, and from what I've read, were done on CDs in California with no type of warning on the packaging [I may be wrong here, so please don't hold my feet to the fire].



Perhaps the bigger tests are being done overseas where people may not be as "sue-happy" as they are in the US until they can work out the bugs.



Imagine the cost to record companies if they have to buy consumers new computers because the product they sell is poison to PCs.



We've known for years that Kenny G's music was poison to musical taste, but at least it didn't actually kill your equipment!

 

[Iain Lambert]

I can confirm that the exact same message that is on the UK Celine Dion release is on the UK copies of the Episode 2 score. Thats why I'm refusing to buy it - even though its torture to miss the Williams goodness...

 

[Kyle McKnight]

The CDs carry a small warning stating 'Will not work on PC/Mac'.

They need to make this a large sticker on the front of the package, and also include the fact they may not work on some car cd players etc... I can just see the arguments now with people at stores like Best Buy, where they wont allow you to return opened CD's, except for the exact same title.

 

[Patrick Larkin]

I've been reading this saga with great interest. Also, in the latest issue of Sound and Vision there is a nice piece on the so-called death of Napster and it being reborn into a creature that cannot be killed.
The recording industry is insane. Copy protection on a CD? What they really need to do is DECREASE PRICES. The price of a CD has remained static for TWENTY years. Drop the price of a CD so buying it is more convenient than pirating it. Simple.
The OUTSTANDING DVD of The Last Waltz underscores the fact that CDs are overpriced. For $14.99, I bought a DVD with tremendous audio in 5.1 coupled with the film, commentaries and extras all in a very nice case. $14.99 is a standard price for a barebones CD. Thinking about all of the expense that goes into a major motion picture vs. what goes in to a studio recording makes it even more infuriating. The record companies are making HUUUUUGE profits.
Wake up.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

The decreasing pricing argument doesn't hold any water, never has. People will steal music even if it was only a dollar.

As for comparing a DVD of a film to a CD, you are missing the fact that a film recoups its money from theatrical showings, with home video being a secondary market. CDs do not operate that way.

As for the iMac thing, there has to be a way of extracting the CD without sending it in to be repaired. Most players have a mechanism to force the door open and eject the media somehow.

 

[Brendon]

John,

I bought the "copy protected" UK Episode 2 CD last week, when then refused to play properly on my DVD player - the sound was thin and indistinct, a million miles away from the bombast of the Episode 1 CD soundtrack.

So I returned the disc to the shop, HMV in this case, complained and obtained a refund.

Given that I NEEDED to own the Ep 2 score, I subsequently imported the US version.

However the story does not end there.

I wrote a letter to HMV's UK head office describing my experience with the disc, why I returned it and why I will not be purchasing any subsequent discs with copy protection. (I also pointed out the irony of illegally aquiring the individual tracks online and burning them to a CDR which could then play fine on my DVD player, whilst the legimiately bought product will not play as well - BTW I have not done and do not endorse this!!!!!).

I received a letter back last Friday thanking me for taking the time to write and that HMV Customer Services had contacted Sony Classical regarding the matter. Sony Classical have requested that HMV forward my letter to them, and have said that they will be in touch with me. Lastly, the letter outlined that any comment or correspondance that Sony Classical enter into regarding the Ep 2 disc may have to be run by Lucasfilm (Lucas licensing ?) first. I am awaiting Sony Classical getting in contact.

In truth, I expected nothing more than a simple apology from HMV and that nothing further could be done. I was not and am not expecting any great change in policy regard this (daft) practice of copy protection that punishes people who buy legitimate products instead of the pirates, but I am glad that my complaint is being taken with a degree of seriousness.

Should Sony Classical get in contact with me, I'll post the results.

Cheers,

Bren

 

[PhilipG]

Well, this silly method will really stop the pirates. All they need do is hook up their CD player's digital-out to their PC and hit record.
The people this is going to do the most harm is anyone with a laptop who wants to play their CDs while they're on the move.

 

[John P Grosskopf]

The recording industry is insane. Copy protection on a CD? What they really need to do is DECREASE PRICES. The price of a CD has remained static for TWENTY years. Drop the price of a CD so buying it is more convenient than pirating it. Simple.

I agree totally. I vented in a similar rant with DVDs a few days ago here:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=69216

 

[Jack Briggs]

Okay, I just checked in with this thread. And I'm a happy little iMac camper. Love my machine.

I've also been following the copy-protection stories in the A/V press with increasing unease and not a little anger. So, let me get this straight now: If I were a Celine Dion fan, and if I slipped this latest CD of hers into my iMac's CD drive for some tunage while I surf HTF, I would find my machine locked out of action and in need of repair?

This is for real?

So, the record companies don't think anything about ruining people's computers?

Class action lawsuit anyone?

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Well, the one upshot of all this is that we won't have to listen to Celine Dion anymore.
But seriously, this sort of copy protection has to stop. If I put a Sony CD into my Mac and it costs me downtime and a repair to get it out, I am sending the bill to Sony.
Edit: and after reading Jack's comment, I think the class-action lawsuit idea would drive this point home.
- Steve

 

[Robert Dunnill]

As for comparing a DVD of a film to a CD, you are missing the fact that a film recoups its money from theatrical showings, with home video being a secondary market.

I don't think that's true anymore - the home video release of a title often brings in more revenue than the theatrical release. Also, some titles are made for video, and skip the theatrical release phase entirely.

RD

 

[Jack Briggs]

You know, I am experiencing all these Orwellian-tinged thoughts at the moment. Anger prevents me from posting more intelligently. Seriously.

 

[Kyle McKnight]

Would a class action law-suit work for something like that, considering they state on the package it's not for pc/mac use? Believe me, I don't support it, just curious.

 

[David Lambert]

Would a class action law-suit work for something like that, considering they state on the package it's not for pc/mac use?

One of the issues all along has been that this warning does not go onto every "protected" title's package, nor does it seem findable when it IS there.
Apparently there is also some concern with using these protected CD's on videogame units, as well as PC's (isn't the X-Box essentially a PC stripped of the keyboard?), yet this isn't mentioned in the warnings, either. :frowning:

 

[Dean M]

Now, not only do they break equipment their CDs sound like CRAP! Is this why I have spent over $100,000 on A/V equipment? (Not that I listen to any of the above artists). Why would the Star Wars soundtrack have encryption? Those that would want it are probably not the types to use peer-to-peer to download it.
The new Rush CD had better not use encryption or I will be screaming tomorrow, and phoning Alex to complain!

 

[Kyle McKnight]

That's what I get for not thinking/reading up on all the possibilities. Thanks Dave.

 

[MatthewCampbell]

Would a class action law-suit work for something like that, considering they state on the package it's not for pc/mac use? Believe me, I don't support it, just curious.

I haven't seen the actual disclaimer, but unless it says that a disc can actually damage one's computer, I'd say that they should be liable.