you know that crap has got to stop.

I've returned 3 out of the 4 CD's i've bought recently because of that stuff.

If I can't play it where and when i want.. it's useless.

I have stopped BUYING Cd's. [unless i know it will be ok to play it] it is too much hassle having to return it. Not to mention they don't want to take it back cause it's been opened. It's a major hassle.

IMO if I buy it.. how i choose to listen to it is MY business not theirs. they want to control that.. they can stuff it.

how'd i get on this soapbox?

*steps off*

one more thing..

I'd complain to the vendor who sold it. Maybe then they'll stop selling such tripe.

Yeah, but the vendor can only sell what the companies send to them, and they're more likely lose more customers by not selling it than they are selling it.

seems to me they'd lose more by selling it.

then again there's a fool born every minute they say..

*please note alden's reaction* that is not the way to keep your customer base.

Yes, but that won't be everyones reaction, as not everyone uses their PC as an audio CD player. And if a person can't buy a product at all from them, they're not likely to go there in future. Whilst I understand Aldens plight, how is not selling the CD going to help him in the long run? He still won't be able to get it.
A better solution would be to Highlight these CD's as containing this copy protection, then at least they'd have warning before ordering.
Its like some stores over here that refused to sell the game GTA3: Vice City... They had the moral high ground, but at the end of the day, they lost more customers for not selling it than they would of for selling it, when it became one of the fastest selling games in UK history...

I think tha'ts my whole point.

If I KNEW it was one that might not play in my cd player, my computer, etc I wouldn't be so ticked off. Thing is they don't tell you. Then they give you a hassle when you try to return it!

I've had experience with these before.. much worse than what Alden has encountered. Admitted they've probably made some improvements since they first started and I encountered it. But it pissed me off SO badly that I stopped buying at all. [except from a club that I am member of that doesn't play those shenanigans (sp)]

Admittedly I am speaking of my own experience. Alden seems to have found a way to get his new CD to work. =)

I on the other hand, tho I like Ace of Base, will not be buying it either. =)

Yeah, that's one of the problems with buying stuff online - you don't know what you're going to get. Had I known it was copy protected I wouldn't have ordered it. I have been holding off buying Mike Oldfield's rerecording of Tubular Bells because the European release is copy protected. I am hoping (perhaps vainly) that the NZ release won't be...

I think I'll add a "This CD is copy protected" warning to my music page...

this didn't happen to me from buying online.. it was a local shop in SF. =)

But yes.. do add that comment. I think people should be told before they buy that there could be problems. =)

It's working fine in my CD player program at work, so I am happy :)

The copy protection shows up as an extra track, so I have helpfully labelled it "Copy Protection".

clever.. =)