Copy Protected CD's Selling Like Hot Cakes

[DudeAsInCool]

From the San Mateo Times:

LOS ANGELES -- A music CD wrapped in copy-protection technology has become a best seller, fueling speculation that U.S. music fans might be ready to accept such restrictions.

Velvet Revolver's "Contraband" has sold 380,000 copies since its release last week, when it grabbed the top sales spot with 256,000 units sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

It's one of a few CDs issued in the United States equipped with such copy-protection measures, which the recording industry has been cautious to implement.

"Obviously, this is our highest-profile release to date with copy-management technology, so there's a sense that the technology has matured and our research shows us that consumers are receptive," said Nathaniel Brown, a spokesman for Bertelsmann Music Group.

Fans bought the CD despite clear warnings on the jewel case about the copy restrictions.

"Contraband" is the first record by the group formed by ex-members of Guns N' Roses and the frontman of Stone Temple Pilots.

The technology on the CD is supposed to help reduce music piracy by preventing buyers from burning more than three copies, among other restrictions.

But it remains a work in progress -- songs ripped from the CD don't play on Apple Computer Inc.'s popular iPod digital music player.

And users loading the CD on a PC running Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system can easily bypass the protection features by pressing the "shift" key.

Phoenix-based SunnComm Technologies Inc., the company behind the copy-protection features on "Contraband," says its technology is not supposed to be hacker-proof, just effective enough to reduce piracy overall.

http://www.sanmateocountytimes.com/Stories...2238416,00.html

[alliercollins]

Looks like we are having to pay for Weiland's trips to court. I doubt many of the fans care about the copy protection though. This group sold out like every show before they even had a record. They only performed one original song at their first show.

I was a big STP fan and a big Guns N' Roses fan, so yeah, I love Velvet Revolver too. :)

[DudeAsInCool]

Rather than install copy-protection, why doesnt the recording industry just go back to analog and vinyl? That will solve the problem...

***

I liked the first Stone Temple Pilot's album, but havent kept up to date. How is STP (and did the name eminate from the drug? and Velvet Revolver - what kind of music is it.

[alliercollins]

STP (just a shortened version of Stone Temple Pilots, no real meaning) went on to do 4 more records, then a greatest hits. They had some big hits on the second record (Purple), like Interstate Love Song, Vasoline, and Big Empty. Then the next record (Tiny Music... Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop) was pretty weak, but scored some small time hits like Big Bang Baby and Lady Picture Show. The fourth album (#4) scored a pop rock hit with Sour Girl (You should see Weilands range on this song) and a hit with their hardest song pretty much ever, which was Down. Then the 5th (Shangri-La Dee Da) had a smooth hit called Days Of The Week. The greatest hits also had a small hit called All In The Suit That You Wear.

As for Velvet Revolver. It sounds like a harder version of STP with Slash doing guitar solos. Basically it's like taking the song Down and adding a solo to it. They have three softer songs on the album, but nothing Sour Girl type soft. It's all good stuff though.

Edited June 28, 2004 by alliercollins

[DudeAsInCool]

Thanx for the update. We should probably run threads on both bands..

[alliercollins]

Oh I could talk about STP all day long. Some people really hate them though. They called them grunge rip offs, even though Weiland sounded nothing like anyone else from the grunge era (I personally think he sounded better than any of them) and they went with tight guitar riffs rather than jumping aroudn with solos like everyone else did.

I think it's a mental thing that I have to constantly put them up and defend them, simply because some people choose to hate them for various reasons.

Edited June 28, 2004 by alliercollins