I went to the store yesterday, I had wanted to buy a CD. Turns out, it was published by BMI EMI, and the CD had clearly written: “Copy-protected”. Since I rip all of my music for (strictly) personal use, to copy to my PDA and my computer network, this wouldn’t work for me. I really find it ironic — it is certainly protecting their content, because nobody is buying it! I can’t imagine how this is good for them at all.
AllOfMp3.com is currently NOT accepting payments due to “crack-downs”, and iTunes is also DRM-laced.
For now, I’m just going to NOT buy the CD that I was going to. Glad they’re doing so well at preventing piracy, that they’re preventing legitimate sales too. Perhaps I’ll see what the kids are using these days for pirating music, or wait-out to see if AllOfMp3.com comes back online.
(Edit: Changed BMI to EMI — I don’t think BMI was pleased to be blamed for EMI’s actions! Silly what trouble a single character can cause)
BMI doesn’t publish songs or CDs. BMI licenses the public performance of music, such as when a song is played on radio, TV or in a restaurant. BMI has nothing to do with music encryption, so you are mistaken in blaming them for your problem.
Thanks for the reply Jerry!
The CD clearly had “BMI” labeled on the CD, while the album was under the Mute label (owned by BMI). For the record, the CD in question was “Violator” by Depeche Mode, as found in Poland. Most of the other Depeche Mode CDs were similarly “protected”.
Jerry, I apologize, this was my confusion between BMI and EMI. The CD was labeled with “EMI”, the company that owns Mute Records. Silly what a single letter will do!
No problem. Confusing BMI and EMI is a common problem. Some folks think BMI means “body mass index,” and others think we’re BFI, the waste management company. I think there’s a British airline that also goes by “BMI.” For the record, BMI stands for Broadcast Music, Inc.