[Hudlug] Elvis Costello! I spit on the floor!

[Chris Wood]

On Tuesday 24 September 2002 10:16 am, you wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I dunno who gets the Sunday Times (major M$ bootlicker!) but there was a
> free cd given away with it last sunday!
>
> It's a demo of Elvis Costello's latest album, with some audio tracks,
> and some MP3's.  The MP3's are DRM encoded. they will only play if
> windows will d/l the latest version of Media player, which has all this

Hmmm... I thought it worked with 7.1 or better. 7.1 has been around for 
quite a while now... I know it tries to persuade you to install 9beta (I've 
read the Register article too!), but you can simply use 7.1...

> DRM stuff in it.  You can then only play each track 4 times. Each time
> the player connects to a M$ database over the internet, then stops you
> playing it a 5th time!
>

<business hat>
Get used to it. Media companies have to make money somehow. It costs a lot 
of money to record music and to market the results effectively. 
How is this marketing method different to say those little samples of 
shampoo or perfume you get stuck in magazines? If you like the sample, you 
maybe buy the product...
</business hat>

> What a disgrace!  This has also happened previously. Oasis had a free
> demo.  I've both as IU do subscrive to the Sunday Times.  Although I
> reckon I may cancel my subscription.
>

Blimey! Do you dislike their writing style too? It seems a little strong to 
cancel a sub over something like this.
Remember the CD is only there so non-regular buyers may spot it and say - 
'Oh a free CD! I'll by the Sunday Times today', and Elvis' publishers do it 
to get a few extra sales of his new album as well.
Personally I buy my sunday paper because I like the style of their reporting 
(IoS BTW), not what freebie they have this week...

> I always wondered why such a paper was giving away cd's liek this.  Well
> I reckon that they're being paid by M$ and Creative (they have sponsored
> the cd) to get stuff like this in general distribution, so people will
> have they're media player upgraded to DRM without them knowing!
>

As above, and of course you are right about the media player upgrade as 
well. But if you already had 7.1 or better (and if not, where have you 
been?) then you already have DRM, and you don't need to upgrade further, 
although I have to say I don't understand what you are scared of.

> It's a disgrace!
>

Hmmmmm....... :-/

C.