Boycott Kate Bush?

[ginny_t]

Now don't go all mad on me, there is logic to it.

I'm starting to think we all should refuse to buy her CD and tell her exactly why.

Sean tells me that the US release is Columbia which is Sony which is the company even worse than EMI Canada. So, here's this giant of an artist releasing her first CD in over a decade and all her fans are facing the prospect of either a CD that will only play on a proprietary music player (if you're lucky enough to even get it to play), or even worse, having their root taken over by some seriously illegal software.

That's no choice. And it's pissing me off. I want my Kate Bush.

[edit: doing more reading on the Sony badness, I came across this: In the meantime, the easiest way around these issues is to use Apple Computer products in conjunction with your iPod. Which really should make the Apple geek in me rejoice. But it doesn't 'cause iTMS pisses me off, too. (gentle reminder: iTunes is not iTMS. first=good, second=bad, very bad)]

Comments

[monkeyman.livejournal.com]

Can't you download it somewhere?

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

Yep. ^_^ It's really good.

But we still have to tell someone why we haven't bought it, or they'll just keep doing what they've been doing.

[monkeyman.livejournal.com]

This is true, I suppose. It's so rare that I buy something by anyone who's on a major label, I don't think enough about what they're doing.

I did read about it the other day, and was reminded of how glad I am that most of my music is from very indy sources. Or downloaded (legally, for the most part).

(PS: You got my comment on the Serenity - Sunday thing, right? Let me know what you think.)

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

Ah. I did get your comment. Sunday sounds good. Not-too-expensive brunch-ish thing before also sounds good. Did you have somewhere in particular in mind?

[monkeyman.livejournal.com]

Well, as we shall be in the Annex, there are several decent places. Rachel and I have gone to Kilgour's a few times, and it was good - and Future Bakery isn't far off, or there are other choices. I'm sure we can figure something out.

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

True, true, there is a wealth of options. So, where would you like to meet, and at what time?

[monkeyman.livejournal.com]

Umm ... how about 12:30 or so at Bathurst Station? Hopefully, by then one or the other of us will have developed a preference for somewhere to eat. ;)

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

I just sent you an e-mail. Go. Read.

[epi-lj.livejournal.com]

Is it sure that it'll be copy-controlled? Even the big players don't tend to copy-control *all* of their CDs.

[seangaffney.livejournal.com]

Kate's CD is in fact not copy-controlled, but I think Ginny is working more from General Principles Of Wrongness here.

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

It does not appear to be copy-controlled, and so I have decided to give it a shot. Because I love Kate so.

[epi-lj.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I don't think that saying to a corporation "You are evil. I will not buy from you." does much to better the world, because then they know you're a write-off either way. However, I think that saying, "I do not like copy-controlled CDs. If you release them, I will not buy them. If you release CDs without the copy-control stuff, I *will* buy them." then there's an incentive for them to change. (Really, if you want to do this as a means to affect change, you need to also write to them to explain what you're doing.

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

I agree with you, actually. Especially the part about telling them what you're doing and why.

[scruloose.livejournal.com]

There is also the option of "as long as you release any copy-protected (or rootkit-infested) CDs and there's somebody out there who doesn't, I'll be buying exclusively from those who don't."

This increases the amount of "potential revenue" they're losing on you, and can also bring up the issue that the labels are wildly inconsistent about labelling their DRMed CDs. It puts the conversation more on the footing of "until I can trust you not to be crippling the product I buy, we can't do business."

You definitely have a good point in that you have to give them an opening to win you back, so that they don't just see you as a write-off either way. And also that you need to write them so they know what you're doing and why (and how many people you're advising to do the same).

[monkeyman.livejournal.com]

Actually, as I understand it, aren't files from iTunes copy-protected as well?

[ginny-t.livejournal.com]

Files from iTMS are indeed; if I rip a CD in iTunes, there's no copy-protection on the files. And thus, I have no tracks from iTMS, not even free ones.

[chazriel.livejournal.com]

Check this:

http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/11/more-on-sony-dangerous-decloaking.html