Don't Steal Velvet Revolver or Duran Duran Music


Fans of Duran Duran and Velvet Revolver can't copy their legally purchased CDs for personal use. No iPods. No copies for the car. Don't believe me? It says so right there on the CD.

"This CD is protected against unauthorized duplication. It is designed to play on standard playback devices and an appropriately configured computer (see system requirements on back." That's the notice Velvet Revolver gave fans when it affixed a shiny silver sticker to its debut release Contraband. The sticker seemed to advertise the lead single, "Slither," which it did. But its the fine print that caught my attention.



Then there is Duran Duran's re-issue of the 20-year-old Arena album. Its the first I've seen with the new FBI anti-piracy warning. The logo, a brainchild of the RIAA, appears on the back of jewel case, while the words (without the logo) are screened onto the CD's label. If the album cover designers intended the logo to be subtle, they failed. Miserably.

I have to wonder how many copies of Arena are already in existence (I own five - album, cassette, original U.S. CD release, Holland CD release and, now, the re-issue). I doubt there's going to be a huge demand for pirated copies of a two decade old CD simply because it contains two bonus tracks we've all heard a million times. I think the FBI can rest easily knowing Limewire and flea markets won't be saturated with this release.

Back to the Velvet Revolver disc. I had already paid my $13.99 to the FYE salesperson when I noticed the fine print. I was filled with anger and joy at the same time. What angered me is that iTunes offers Contraband for $9.99 and I can burn it 7 times and transfer it to unlimited iPods. But purchasing the actual disc for four dollars more gave me more restrictions.

At the same time, I was joyous this sticker was attached to the Velvet Revolvers CD. As far as I know, this is the first CD in my collection to contain copy-protection measures. I couldn't wait to find out what I could or could not do with the CD. The first test was to rip the CD into AAC format in iTunes for transfer to my iPod. It worked flawlessly just like any other CD. Next I popped the CD into my trusty Mac, opened Toast and clicked copy. Five minutes later I had a perfect reproduction of the disc. In the words of Johnny Bench in the old Krylon Paint commercials, "no runs, no drips, no errors." Finally, I tested it in every CD device I owned - seven total. The disc played fine at home, in the computer, on the road and in the portable CD devices.

Does the copy protection even exist? Or, more likely, the sticker is merely affixed to Contraband as a deterrent since this is one of the most widely anticipated rock releases in years.

DON'T STEAL MUSIC. The explanations included in this article are for personal use only. Artists, despite their connection to the RIAA, deserve to be paid.





Posted: Tue - June 8, 2004 at 03:22 PM      

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