Anybody Got a Sharpie?

Those of you who know me know that I buy music. I also download it online, but I buy way more than I get for free. And frequently I download something only to buy it later.

Still, the record industry gets under my skin with its alarmist rhetoric about how music piracy is the single greatest threat to artists everywhere. The fuck? Everybody knows that the record companies are out to make money for themselves (or their conglomerate parent companies, these days) and to do it they will screw the musicians as readily as the customers.

So I was pretty bummed when reports started coming out about these new "copy proof" CDs. I mean, the first ones that were released were by artists like Charley Pride and Celine Dion, so it wasn't exactly cramping my style, but I can see where it's headed. These discs can't be copied; the tracks can't be ripped and stored on your hard drive or MP3 player. Also, I read that many of these protected CDs wouldn't play in computer CD drives or even personal CD players.

This idea, if it catches on, will greatly reduce my quality of life as far as music listening goes. I buy the music. I make my mixes. In other words, I listen to the music I buy on the mixes I make. If I can't make the mixes, my music listening habits will have to change quite a lot.

It just pisses me off. It's my music. I bought the damn disc. I should be able to listen to it whenever, wherever, or however I like, as long as I'm not making money on it.

So this article made me smile. Can you blame me? 'Copy-Proof' CDs Cracked with 99-Cent Marker Pen