CD Buyers In France Sue Over Copy Protection

Found on Techdirt on Thursday, 26 August 2004
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A group of individual CD buyers in France, combined with a French consumer association, have filed a lawsuit against EMI and a record store for selling copy protected CDs, suggesting there has been "deception over the material qualities of a product," since many copy protected CDs don't work well in car stereos or on computers. The record store in question claims they clearly warn consumers of the possibility and offer to refund money if the CDs don't work. As backwards as the policy of copy protection on CDs is (punishing your legitimate buyers, while doing little to stop actual copying) this case seems fairly weak. While the recording industry is obviously a huge fan of lawsuits, suing them back isn't the answer. Making them realize that copy protection is bad for their business is the only way the industry is going to change.

While suing them might have little success, it at least gets their attention. Plus, those things they sell are not CDs, since they violate the standard and therefore are not allowed to have the CD logo on them.