Gettin’ specific: CDs to boycott
This is the Sony Boycott blog, but so far I haven’t talked a lot about the specifics of boycotting. I linked to an existing petition on the first day the blog started, which now has a thousand more signatures than it did four days ago. But getting down to brass tacks, how is one to know what to boycott? After all, Sony BMG doesn’t go out of their way to label the discs that contain XCP.
There are a few Internet projects to identify the copy protected discs. The databases I found most interesting were the Fat Chuck list (which identifies CDs sold in the US) and the UK Campaign for Digital Rights list.
Unfortunately, the Fat Chuck list does not flag the Van Zant disc that was analyzed on SysInternals as corrupt.
So maybe the most reliable list is this one, which is the list of all the Sony BMG music labels. It’s a long list. Anyone have any better ideas?
November 8th, 2005 at 1:19 pm
the problem with the fatchuck list is it hasn’t been updated since april of ‘04. i am sure there are way more than those out there now.
November 8th, 2005 at 1:48 pm
ok, from what i can tell, people know which cds have the most diabolical copy protection ever on them: you can see them all on amazon. unfortunately, you cannot simply search amazon for “copy/content-protected.” that would be much too easy.
you can’t just search for “sony bmg” either because that gives you a list of 800 predominanyly import cds and some artists are still labeled as just “sony.”
this is very frustrating.
November 8th, 2005 at 7:28 pm
Hi, Tim:
I’ve been going by this list:
http://www.sonymusic.com/artists/all.html
Granted, it may be a net larger than necessary, since I’m sure not all artists on this list are DRMed. But, as I’ve been saying on my blog, this list may be a good starting point. Also, First4Internet is also a problem; we should be aware of the other clients these guys may have: see this post: http://www.quietvoice.org/index.php/2005/11/07/and-the-sonyscope-widens/
Finally, anyone who wants one is welcome to snag my humble effort at a graphic from my blog http://www.quietvoice.org/ . I’ts under “Contingency”, right hand of the main page.
I appreciate your efforts.
-k-
November 9th, 2005 at 7:53 am
Hello,
I have been making a list of CDs from Amazon which seem to be “protected”. It has been reference in several sites:
http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/11/03/HNsonypatch_1.html
http://www2.csoonline.com/blog_view.html?CID=14127
http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showpost.php?p=257102&postcount=22
etc.
The link is:
http://slashdot.org/~xtracto/journal/121088
Feel free to add more CD’s to the list in the comment sections.
November 9th, 2005 at 8:15 am
BTW the updated list is on this link:
http://slashdot.org/~xtracto/journal/121697
November 9th, 2005 at 8:20 am
Thanks, xtracto. I’ll post a link to this list this morning.
November 10th, 2005 at 12:16 pm
What’s the problem with you guys. Haven’t you got tape decks and walkmen FFS.
There’s no way a CD’s going to install a rootkit on my PC because I don’t bother playing CDs on my PC. I have what’s known as a “stereo” or “hifi” to do that.
Just a thought.
November 11th, 2005 at 8:50 pm
My letter to every Sony site soliciting customer comments:
“As a former Sony customer, let me express my disgust at your corporate endorsement of unauthorized rootkit installations on user machines. I only hope that the litigious reprisals are overwhelming enough to force your company to reconsider its hostile approach to its customers.”