# copy protected cd's?



## opus66 (Jun 12, 2005)

Anyone have experience with the newer copy-protected cd's...

I've noticed newer cd's are starting to employ copy protection... i'm wondering if i'll have to stop buying cd's.

I still buy cd's to give me the flexibility to choose my bit-rate encoding... including apple lossless when desired..

Then i use them in itunes, on ipod, and burn mix cd's for the car...
I guess this will come to an end unless i switch to downloading my songs instead. My gripe would be that i'm limited to 128 bit AAC's...

Any thoughts?


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## kilowatt (Jun 12, 2005)

I just ran into one yesterday.

It was a demo cd from a record company "for promotional use only" etc.

It won't play on my computer. Or my dvd player. Or a PS2. It also won't play on my co-worker's car. Or his friends car. 

My hope would be that someone puts a stop to that - it really lowers the consumer's happyness with the music. In fact, if the album is released in this manner, I'd rather download it illegally (at a higher bitrate than 128k), than purchase it on a CD that I can't play anywhere. I don't even own a 'straight' cd player.

I think its also possible that Apple will eventually 'patch' os x so that we can use these CDs. That, or a third party. Unless the DMCA has a say in it...


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## texanpenguin (Jun 13, 2005)

Around fifty percent of the CDs I've bought in the past year and a half have been "Copy Controlled". They've been a nightmare to rip into iTunes on my brother's PC, but don't seem to affect the way the Mac rips it.

I do despise them, however, since my old MP3-CD player didn't have support for copy controlled CDs (funnily enough, I'd have to copy them first ).


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Jul 11, 2005)

Just a little revisit to copy protected audio CDs: you can spot a copy protected CD by it's lack of the "Compact Disc Digital Audio" logo -- copy protected CDs do not adhere to the true Compact Disc Digital Audio guidelines (as set forth by Philips), and cannot carry that symbol (usually printed on the CD/case or inset into the CD tray in the corners).

I have no idea if certain copy protected CDs have used that logo erroneously or illegally, but this is what I've heard and what I've found researching.

http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,50101,00.html

I fully realize that it's probably impossible to tell before purchase, since the logo usually appears inside the material, but if you do find a CD that bears the logo pre-purchase, you can be sure that it's not copy protected.

Just a tidbit that crossed my mind.


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## Krevinek (Jul 11, 2005)

The logo is also supposed to appear on the outside of the material (on the back these days) if you are compliant. Phillips sued a couple labels when they did use the label on copy crippled CDs, as Phillips didn't want these discs that didn't work right most of the time to filter back to Phillips' reputation and mar the format's image.

Just look for the CD Audio logo, if you don't see it, or you see a logo that it doesn't play on computers, then you know it is copy crippled.

Personally, I just don't buy anything unless I know have control over it, Metropolis Records is a small label that doesn't cripple, but they are sadly losing business because they are being forced off store shelves by the bigger labels. That, and Industrial music is a niche as it is.


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