Did you know that unlabelled ``copy-protected'' CDs

                     are now on sale in this country ?


     It's true -- the record companies have introduced them into the
     shops, secretly, and without warning labels.  We've found several
     artists' CDs have been protected (for example, several of BMG's
     new releases), and we know there must be more.  We can't buy
     every CD to test, and for this reason we're asking the public's
     help to track down these bad CDs.  If you have access to a
     computer this is easy to do.  See the step-by-step instructions
     on our pages at:
                    http://ukcdr.org/issues/cd/

     So what's this ``copy-protection'' all about, then?  Well,
     in brief:

       o  These so-called ``copy-protected'' CDs are being created by
          the record companies so that they won't play on computers or
          laptops, but they will play on most other machines.

       o  They are also designed to prevent people from making
          digital copies, either using a computer, or with a digital
          connection to a MiniDisk player.

       o  However, because it's technically difficult to create a
          CD that plays on one machine but not on another, these CDs
          also have problems with some other CD players (for example,
          we have found problems with DVD players, PS2 machines,
          car CD players, digital home cinema systems and some older
          CD players).

       o  These CDs are technically sub-standard -- they do not meet
          the official standard definition of how an audio CD should
          be made.

       o  Some of these CDs actually corrupt the audio data by
          manipulating the error-correction codes on the disk.  These
          codes are designed to help a CD player play correctly when
          there are scratches on the disk.  Interfering with this
          mechanism makes CDs less resistant to scratches.

     So what are our objections to what the record companies are
     doing ?

       o  Well, we object very strongly to the fact that these CDs are
          being released without any labelling.  The least that the
          record companies should do is to make it clearly known that
          these CDs won't work on certain machines.  We would also
          like them to indicate whether or not the audio signal and
          error correction codes have been tampered with, so that the
          customer can make an informed decision before buying.

       o  It seems nonsense that you might be caused to pay four
          times over for an album -- one for your home system, another
          for your car system, another for your MiniDisk player, and
          another for your portable MP3 player.  Stopping digital
          copies means that MiniDisk and MP3 players are now next
          to useless.

       o  In truth they are trying to stop copying of music on the
          internet, but anyone with some technical understanding would
          be able to make a copy of these CDs, so really this is just
          causing inconvenience for everyday people without actually
          stopping unauthorized copying.

       o  Thanks to the CD standard, even 18-year-old CDs still work
          on modern players.  However, these new corrupt CDs don't
          even work properly in today's players.  What guarantee does
          the consumer have that these CDs will work even 5 or 10
          years from now, when they are not being made to a recognised
          standard?

     At the moment, the public is still being lied to and mislead
     by the record companies, and we think something should be done
     about this.

     There are also other issues behind the copy-protection issue,
     such as the up-coming EUCD laws in Europe, and the DMCA and SSSCA
     laws in America.  These laws are backed by the record and video
     companies, and we are concerned about the implications of what
     they are doing.  For more information, see our web pages here:

                         http://ukcdr.org/

      Many thanks for your help    -- The Campaign for Digital Rights