Smooth Criminal
Its nice to see that those with integrity are treated like a common criminal.
Back in the day (that would be 2000) I used Napster just like everyone else. I downloaded the songs I liked but didn’t like enough to actually pay for. I even switched Peer-to-Peer networks after Metallica crushed Napster so I could keep downloading. I did not have a hard drive packed with pirated songs, but there was at least 1; it was 1 too many.
I’ve grown a lot in my faith. As I did I felt compelled to pay for the songs in my library. I deleted anything I didn’t have on CD. I went as far as not loading any software on my new PC that isn’t licensed. My wife says its gotten expensive since I got integrity; I’m still saving for that copy of Adobe Photoshop.
But music is where most of my money is spent. This week, I realized I hadn’t picked up the latest Switchfoot CD. I was at the Wal-Mart and saw it in the music section and picked it up.
I got it home and it wouldn’t import into iTunes; not even after three different tries. iTunes can’t even see it.
So here sits a frustrated Christian, buying a Christian album to run on a successful and legal application for online music, and it WON’T RUN. About 30 verses on rage are about the only thing keeping me from ramming the CD down some money-grubbing record exec’s throat.
It turns out the anti-piracy controls are in full effect. They must assume I’m a pirate.
Perhaps I can explain: I plan on ripping from CD to iTunes so I can listen to music here at home. I might put it on my iPod which I take to work; to listen to during the day. I might go as far as playing it in the car with my family listening to it as well.
Burning it to disk for 10 of my closest friends?
No.
Sharing it online with 10 million of my closest friends?
Hardly.
But the record company feels that I’m a threat to their empire. Ironically, I’m more a threat now because I’m inclined to sign up with a Russian download service or find the songs online somewhere. What might be the chances there’s someone else out there with the same dilemna? Probably pretty good. And what are the chances they’d stop with just the CD they’ve already purchased? I’m going to guess that’s a pretty favorable odd.
For now I’m just going to kick and scream at the Wal-Mart to get my money back for that defective CD.
Update: [2006-01-27] Since evil always gets its due, Sony has taken a big steaming pile of it over the rootkit. They’ve since rereleased Switchfoot without copy protection. Its a great album, now that I can hear it.