Actually, according to the article on <a href="http://www.arstechnica.com"; target="_blank">Ars Technica</a>, you can still access digital copies of the songs from the CD using Sony's software. However, they charge you nearly $2 per song to do it!
Charging you for something you already own? <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />
i'd take Sony's anti-piracy efforts more seriously if the stopped putting Record buttons on their devices
we don't want you to steal movies, but your VCR has several programmable options to capture copyrighted content despite whatever disclaimer by monday night football or whatever actual rights owner that copying is prohibited.
the legal resolution of vcr recording has traditionally been that you are "time-shifting" your watching of said game or event or episode, and that no "piracy" could be presumed/implied/accused
sony puts record buttons on tape players, as well as on minidisc and several digital formats (oh no, capable of "perfect copies). ironic eh?
the legal and logical position used to be that if i had paid for an album of sony music, but didn't have a turntable in my car, i was allowed to record it using that Sony record button in many cases so that the album i "owned" was more about the content than fixed to the format itself and i was 'permitted' to dub it however i wanted to listen to it (in case no cassette or 8-track or wax cylinder existed)
even after cd technology became common, but before automobile cd players became common, the practice continued because there inevitably was some content that didn't exist in all media formats, and that record button on your tape deck was suddenly an incentive to buy a cd player and thus not miss out on all that new music just because your car was still older audio technology
and whether you want to argue about the accuracy of digital recording versus analog-digital conversions, remember that most car stereos were lame 6x9 unamplified unshielded copper... cd quality and automobile didn't fit
granted the all digital duplication of high bitrate audio has meant some risk of counterfeit passing as 'real' and devaluing its currency. granted the technological ease of duplication and delivery has meant far more people may be making use of the (in many cases) sony-provided record button.
sony now makes a tivo-like computer with digital disk recording of television programs, complete with record-to-cd function.
but in the years since .mp3 has been available, cd sales have increased 20%
it isn't about technological bogeyman (or boogie man)
it's about corporate greed
if sony or other manufacturers of 'pro' digital equipment doesn't want bootlegs, stop building the record button or acknowledge legitimate use of such a button. given that their hardware division is very eager to build and sell devices with the job in life to flawlessly duplicate content, it seems curious that their content division presumes to call us all thieves when we make use of such button in the legally precedented areas of 'time shifting' or 'alternate media backup'.
sound like a case of corporate political struggle between divisions until the lawyers told them they could squeeze more from the peasants without implying anything is wrong with the system of divine right... i mean accuse consumers of theft when they refuse to pay more taxes for the tape version of the vinyl we already sold them [and made money on the blank tape levy which presumes everybody is a pirate even if they record their own original content]
all without making any of the real changes to the way content is developed and marketed, likely a larger issue in why the industry is contracting and "independent" paths to success are 'stealing opportunity' from the vested interests
before i get off on a larger rant, read John Perry Barlow (ex Grateful Dead writer) on the effect of Napster and P2P on an industry that fears change more than it fears theft, and the perspective on lost revenue versus gained profile from the original 'bootlegged band'
of course, my pick for best starting point for understanding the difference between barlow and sony might be his superb <a href="http://www.eff.org/~barlow/Declaration-Final.html"; target="_blank">Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace</a>
Comments
Charging you for something you already own? <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />
we don't want you to steal movies, but your VCR has several programmable options to capture copyrighted content despite whatever disclaimer by monday night football or whatever actual rights owner that copying is prohibited.
the legal resolution of vcr recording has traditionally been that you are "time-shifting" your watching of said game or event or episode, and that no "piracy" could be presumed/implied/accused
sony puts record buttons on tape players, as well as on minidisc and several digital formats (oh no, capable of "perfect copies). ironic eh?
the legal and logical position used to be that if i had paid for an album of sony music, but didn't have a turntable in my car, i was allowed to record it using that Sony record button in many cases so that the album i "owned" was more about the content than fixed to the format itself and i was 'permitted' to dub it however i wanted to listen to it (in case no cassette or 8-track or wax cylinder existed)
even after cd technology became common, but before automobile cd players became common, the practice continued because there inevitably was some content that didn't exist in all media formats, and that record button on your tape deck was suddenly an incentive to buy a cd player and thus not miss out on all that new music just because your car was still older audio technology
and whether you want to argue about the accuracy of digital recording versus analog-digital conversions, remember that most car stereos were lame 6x9 unamplified unshielded copper... cd quality and automobile didn't fit
granted the all digital duplication of high bitrate audio has meant some risk of counterfeit passing as 'real' and devaluing its currency. granted the technological ease of duplication and delivery has meant far more people may be making use of the (in many cases) sony-provided record button.
sony now makes a tivo-like computer with digital disk recording of television programs, complete with record-to-cd function.
but in the years since .mp3 has been available, cd sales have increased 20%
it isn't about technological bogeyman (or boogie man)
it's about corporate greed
if sony or other manufacturers of 'pro' digital equipment doesn't want bootlegs, stop building the record button or acknowledge legitimate use of such a button. given that their hardware division is very eager to build and sell devices with the job in life to flawlessly duplicate content, it seems curious that their content division presumes to call us all thieves when we make use of such button in the legally precedented areas of 'time shifting' or 'alternate media backup'.
sound like a case of corporate political struggle between divisions until the lawyers told them they could squeeze more from the peasants without implying anything is wrong with the system of divine right... i mean accuse consumers of theft when they refuse to pay more taxes for the tape version of the vinyl we already sold them [and made money on the blank tape levy which presumes everybody is a pirate even if they record their own original content]
all without making any of the real changes to the way content is developed and marketed, likely a larger issue in why the industry is contracting and "independent" paths to success are 'stealing opportunity' from the vested interests
before i get off on a larger rant, read John Perry Barlow (ex Grateful Dead writer) on the effect of Napster and P2P on an industry that fears change more than it fears theft, and the perspective on lost revenue versus gained profile from the original 'bootlegged band'
<a href="http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,48625,00.html"; target="_blank">why copyright is killing culture - digital film fest in dublin 2001</a>
the following piece on copyright is taught at many schools
<a href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.10/download.html"; target="_blank">the next economy of ideas - on p2p and napster - oct 2000</a>
of course, my pick for best starting point for understanding the difference between barlow and sony might be his superb <a href="http://www.eff.org/~barlow/Declaration-Final.html"; target="_blank">Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace</a>