This via the excellent Politech mailing-list, which covers the politics of technology. - michael Copy protected CDs: artists can be the losers http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/04/03/1048962867084.html [comment by original Politich poster] Radio stations that are 100% digital can't play certain copy-protected CDs because the copy-protection doesn't allow them to rip the tracks on to their station's system. Copy-protection is therefore directly responsible for the lack of airtime in this market by those who choose to copy-protect their CDs! This radio station, which recently received its regular bag of freebies from EMI, finds that it is unable to play any of the CDs it received - the copy protection on the discs gets in the way. The station in question has no standalone CD players, just desktop PCs (all running Windows 2000) and a couple of old Denon CD Cart players. "The CD tries to install some files to allow the PC to play the CD but my boss won't authorise the installation of these files because he has no technical info on the software," wrote the gentleman who let us know about this. "And if we can't transfer the CD tracks to our digital playout system the CD ain't going to get any airplay at all!"