They certainly will not get any of mine for a long time.
I’m sick and tired of the media companies treating us like criminals. Putting software on our machines that makes them more vulnerable is not a good way to treat your customers.
In the interest of disclosure, I have not bought any of the infected CDs (either XCP or Suncomm) and haven’t been directly affected that way.
On the other hand, I have been affected by the mentality that produced those CDs in the form of higher pricing for CDs, limited access to music, their blatent disregard for their customers while failing to go after the real thieves, their inability to see that the Internet is an opportunity to do more business rather than just a piracy medium.
Idiots.
As one of their customers (speaking to the media giants in general, not just Sony) I do not "share" music in the sense of ripping CDs and allowing all my friends access to free music. I am not a criminal. I am not stealing from you.
On the other hand, I do buy CDs, rip them and put the MP3s on my music player so I can listen to the music no matter where I happen to be. This is no different from when I would transfer albums to tape so I could listen to my music in the car.
Anything that gets between me and my music is something I will always avoid. I don’t intend to buy Microsoft Vista when it comes out just because of all the ways that Microsoft is sucking up to the media conglomerates with their demands that all media must be controlled. What they don’t realize is that "fair use" encourages people to find new ways to use content which encourages more use and in many ways acts like free advertising. If I like a song, I’ll tell my friends. If I don’t, I generally won’t mention it unless a song or group truly stinks. If a company keeps me from playing my music the way I want it played, I’ll warn everyone I know to stay away.
I also have an iTunes account. You might be inclined to respond that I’m being hypocritical.
There are exactly three reasons why I have an iTunes account.
1) I can get a song whenever I want it without buying an entire album.
2) Individual songs only cost a buck.
3) (this is the deal-maker) There are tools that let me convert iTunes files into MP3s.
I wouldn’t have touched iTunes if that last item hadn’t been available. And for a long time I didn’t go anywhere near it.
I’m not one of those lunatics that think everything should be free but I also am not going to along with the media conglomerates attempts to make sure I pay through the nose every time.
Don’t support companies that assume everyone who buys their product is a criminal. Sony BMG shouldn’t get any of our money for a long time.
