Starsailor Message Board

Joop · SSMB Newbie Joined: 22 Sep 2003 Posts: 1

I just bought the new Album Silence is Easy yesterday. On the back it says that it's Copy Controlled. Well I noticed that when I wanted to play the CD in the cdplayer in my car.

Now I HAVE to rip the CD and make a copy for my car. But that's not illegal, just extra hard because of the copy 'protection'.

Argh...

Did you encounter playback problems? How do you fix this?

P.S. It's protected with Cactus 200.0.4 - 4.0 build 10b

---
Joop
The Netherlands

'Boo · Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2003 9:52 am Post subject:

sloth · SSMB Newbie Joined: 24 Sep 2003 Posts: 3

I was really looking forward to the new album - until I discovered that it was copy protected. I am not willing to buy it until the record company can assure me that it will not jam my computer/car CD player/portable CD player. I am awaiting a response from them (will be interesting to see how long I have to wait).

I notice that the new CD is listed at http://ukcdr.org/issues/cd/bad as being 'corrupt'. Strange then, that there's no mention of this anywhere on the Starsailor site and even stranger that companies like Amazon who actually sell the stuff don't mention it.

A sad state of affairs.

ogryn · Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2003 12:08 pm Post subject:

This Copy stuff is very strange.

I have noticed that in my car-CD player the disc is more sensitive and jumps about more than my other CD's.

But it also let me Copy the disc into Windows Media Player? Not that I am going to let others steal it, I just like all my Starsailor songs in a big playlist.

sloth · SSMB Newbie Joined: 24 Sep 2003 Posts: 3

Hi ogryn

The fact that the CD jumps in your car may well be due to copy protection.

I have a Mac computer with a Harman Kardon sound system attached and for me, it's the natural place to listen to my music. Some Mac drives have been rendered completely useless by copy protected CDs and I'm not willing to take the risk. I've written to EMI asking for an assurance that the Starsailor CD will not damage my drive and am awaiting a response. I'm not holding my breath as the general impression given by the record companies is that they couldn't give a toss about anybody's CD drive but are far more concerned with their profits.

Oh, and if they really think that copy protecting CDs will stop peer to peer transfer and file swapping of Mp3s then that shows how little they know about today's world. Very Happy

roxiehart · Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2003 2:36 pm Post subject:

Its so weird - I have had no problems with my cd on my cd player or my PC. I use it on RealPlayer and its fine?!!
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Craggy · Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2003 5:58 pm Post subject:

Rules are made to be broken!
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ogryn · Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2003 6:31 pm Post subject:

Annelies · SSMB Newbie Joined: 25 Sep 2003 Posts: 3

I started a new threath (sorry), but want to add my comments to yours as well.
After buying "Silence is Easy" yesterday, it appears that due to the 'copy control' I can't listen to the CD on my car CD player nor on my PC CD drive.
My lifestyle doesn't allow me to sit back at home next to the only CD player I have and that will play this CD. I spend far more time in the office or in my car.

I understand you want to protect your creative work from evil copyers, but this is the only way you will drive me to Kazaa again. I want to be able to listen to my favourite music when I choose so.
You don't want to loose money to the black-music-market on the Internet, I don't want to pay 20EUR for a CD I'm not able to play.
I'm so disappointed,
Annelies

cheeseischeesy · SSMB Newbie Joined: 13 Sep 2003 Posts: 10

I can play my cd on my pc and everything. I feel so privileged... Then again, if I couldn't, I would probably kill myself... Shocked

sloth · SSMB Newbie Joined: 24 Sep 2003 Posts: 3

Annelies

I hate to say this as I know how much you'll love the album (that's if you've actually been able to listen to it yet!), but TAKE IT BACK to where you bought it.

Tell them it's been corrupted (which is what it amounts to) and that it won't play in your car. Then write to EMI and tell them what you've done. Unless we all act in this way, nothing will change and the record companies will just blindly carry on corrupting CDs and preventing people like you and I from actually being able to play them in the environment of our choosing.

'Boo · Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2003 10:49 am Post subject:

I've posted this is another thread, but I'll repeat it here also:

I've spoken at length to EMI about this subject this morning and I have at least an explanation for you, although I'm not sure how helpful it will be, but I can at least offer some alternative solutions to your problems.

EMI in the UK have not copy controlled their copies of the CD of Silence Is Easy, as sold on the high street in the UK. This is because although they would like to protect their product from illegal distribution, they also acknowledge that music fans like to listen to their purchased music in a variety of formats and until copy protection formats are sufficiently reliable to allow modest copying, but not wide distribution, they've taken the decision not to copy control the products for sale in the UK, where other record labels are now doing so on all product.

If you have a copy that is marked as copy control and you are experiencing problems in playback, that would suggest that it is a European copy of the CD, where copy control is applied. Some sellers who are distributing to the UK and elsewhere, such as CDwow are outside of the normal UK CD distribution network and are therefore obtaining their stock from outside the UK, so their copies will be European stock and therefore copy controlled.

EMI are very concerned with the difficulties you've experienced, which are complicated when people can buy worldwide from a variety of global sources, and are going to look at the situation more closely and will get back to me on the matter.

In the short term, the only suggestions I can make is that you either return the copy you have and buy another one from a source that isn't copy controlled - all UK high street copies are NOT copy controlled, so any supplier that works within the usual UK distribution system will have non-copy controlled stock. I'll try and do some research after I've posted this to see where might be a suitable resource - I know of one already, but I want to make some calls.

Alternatively, you can buy a legal download copy to burn yourself from http://www.musicfromemi.com and prices, for the UK at least, are from 7.99 GB pounds sterling - obviously this doesn't give you the sleeve booklet etc., just the music. Look through the various alternative sites presented as they each offer slightly different prices, terms and payment options.

As I work for Starsailor and EMI in the UK, I can only really speak for the UK situation, if you're outside the UK, you'd perhaps need to address the issue locally if I haven't answered your concerns - each region's record label works somewhat independently.

I'll try and find out more about reliable UK copies available globally by mail order and if I hear any more on the issue, I'll post it here.
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Parry · SSMB God Joined: 31 Jul 2002 Posts: 2267 Location: Wigan

I know they are mainly around the Northwest not sure about the rest of the country but music zone get their CD's from Europe (Germany i think)

just to add to Boo's comments about European versions
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'Boo · Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2003 12:05 pm Post subject:

Thanks Parry, that was the other name I had with CDWow that I meant to mention, who sell European copies.

I've looked at the http://www.amazon.co.uk web site and the catalogue number is certainly the same as the UK CDs, so I suspect they'd be a UK copy - I'll try and establish that for certain.

An independent mail order company that I've worked with over a long time are http://www.townsend-records.co.uk/ and they are certainly an EMI reseller and I've found them very reliable for overseas supply when working with another band's CDs and I've just checked with them and their stock CDs aren't copy controlled. Their overseas supply would be 10.20 GB pounds plus P&P;, which is +2.80 to the US, +3.75 to Oz and Japan etc. and 11.99 + 2.00 in the EU as you need to pay VAT. Their sales also count towards the UK charts.
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Parry · SSMB God Joined: 31 Jul 2002 Posts: 2267 Location: Wigan

i got mine from amazon but not tried it on my comp
played okay on my DVD and i copied it to my mini-disk
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