BPI's reply to a complaint about protected CDs

Someone has forwarded a reply that he has received from BPI to a rant
of his on the copy-controlled CD issue.  The reply is interesting and
sickening at the same time (IMO) because it seems to me that the BPI
is obviously trying to mislead those people who have a less than
complete technical understanding of the issue -- at the obvious
expense of all the CD player manufacturers and suppliers who have
genuinely supplied standard-conforming devices to their customers. [*]

The BPI really are sinking to a new low, showing no sense of honour or
respect in their dealings with their customers or others in the CD
industry.  (Better I don't attempt a more complete expression of my
distaste at this.)

I've reproduced the reply and original message below, with the
original sender's name and E-mail address removed.  (I don't actually
think this was 100% necessary, but anyway.)

Can anyone think of anything useful we can do about this?

Jim

[* The other interpretation is that they are just massively misguided
and lacking in technical understanding.  If so, perhaps someone with
more patience than I would like to call the guy up and calmly explain
all the detailed technicalities to him. ]

P.S.  To answer point (1) below -- there are no clear standards for
corrupt discs.  As soon as someone makes a clear standard, then all
the CD device manufacturers could conform to it and read the discs
correctly, which is the whole thing that corrupt CDs were designed to
avoid.  So the only way a 'copy-controlled' CD can actually work is
that it doesn't fully conform to any known standard.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

To: XXXXX
From: "Matt Phillips" <Matt.Phillips-WcQI5Ly86Rxaa/[email protected]>
Subject: FW: SACD Idiots!

Hi XXXXX

Can understand why you're angry, but have a few points:

1) Actually all CDs manufactured by the industry conform to clear
standards.
2) The industry has made extensive efforts to communicate with
manufactures so our CDs play on their systems. Let's just say that some
of our calls haven't been returned.
3) I don't blame the record industry for the fact that I can't play my
CDs in my cassette player. Different format.
4) The Red Book is not an "industry bible" merely a definition of what a
CD is (according to those that patented it in 1980). Strangely enough
times have moved on - something that the car manufacturers should be
fully aware of.
5) Some car manufacturers installed cheap CD-ROMS in cars rather than
audio CD players (not that I wanted to accuse VW of this). They got
caught out when copy-protected CDs refused to play on them. Well over
95% of copy protected CDs will play on standard audio CD players -
conforming to the Red Book standard. FACT. If the car manufacturer has
failed to install an audio player it's not our fault.
6) New formats are there for the benefit of consumers. In the case of
SACD and DVD-A the titles are available on CD so buy those instead.
7) By the way you don't have any "right" to copy onto audio CD-R. The
point is you're not allowed to. Copy protection is there to stop you
copying it. It's to stop people abusing the artists' rights and not the
other way round.

Don't mean to be patronising, but my advice would be to get your facts
straight before you start swearing at people.

If you don't understand any of these points I can explain them to you if
you like - I'm on 020 7803 1326.

Best regards

Matt 
 
_______________________________
 
Matt Phillips | BPI
Riverside Building, County Hall, 
Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7JA  
T: 020 7803 1300
DT: 020 7803 1326
F: 020 7803 1310
E: matt.phillips-WcQI5Ly86Rxaa/[email protected]
 
www.bpi.co.uk | www.brittrust.co.uk | www.brits.co.uk


-----Original Message-----
From: XXXXX
Sent: 06 February 2004 22:43
To: _Anti Piracy Unit
Subject: SACD Idiots!


I am totally disgusted by the copy protection/red book std corruption of
releases by Sony BMG, Universal, EMI and others. These abominations
should not be sold alongside legitimate red book std releases, as they
will not play in a wide variety of red book std players; the more
heavily protected they are, they just won't play at all in standard CD
players, car cd-players are a total non-starter. They are also not
robust as regards surface damage to CDs because their error protection
has been subverted.

Home rights to copy onto audio CD-R (and I do mean for home use, not
internet piracy), are being totally abused by record companies.
Customers are getting wise to your despicable antics, and will return
these "dirty" releases back to shops.

Sony has already developed a secure next generation format SACD. All
that is required to resolve your piracy worries is to make new releases
available in this format, before a deferred release on red book std
release later in the
year.*
*and I do mean std CD, not your protected/dirty fuck-ups.
The desirability of SACD, includes better sound and also of key interest
to your anally retentive members the fact that no computer SACD drives
are available or likely to be.

Yours in total disgust with the record industry,

DS

----- End forwarded message -----

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