Does a version of "Speed of Sound" exist anywhere without copy protection? (The Japanese version doesn't count. ;) )
I'm in the USA and received a copy of the US version last week as a gift. I unwrapped it, but didn't try playing it until that evening, at which point I noticed the anti-copy logo on the cover. I rushed to my computer to try it and...no CD...just some Windoze files. (I don't use Windoze.) I was really, really pi**ed that the record company finally managed to sneak one of these into my collection. I decided to return it by any means necessary. My friend still had the receipt and would mail it to me. She bought it at Borders Books. I like Borders, and so hated the idea of giving them a rough time, but a job is a job. A couple days later, the conversation went like this:
ME (to the lady at the cash register): hi, I'd like to either get a refund or a credit for this. It's copy protected and not worth the trouble of owning it. I received it as a gift and can't play it on my computer.
LADY (hestiates and calls the manager)
ME (to manager): hi, I'd like to either get a refund or a credit for this; it's copy protected and not worth the trouble of owning it. I received it as a gift and can't play it on my computer.
MANAGER (pausing): I'm sorry, we don't accept returns once they're unwrapped because it's used.
ME: but you accept returns of books all the time and they're not wrapped to begin with.
MANAGER (pausing): well, we have a return policy on the back of the receipt...
ME: like most other stores, I understand
MANAGER (pausing): there's the notion that you may have copied it
ME: but you do see the irony in suggesting I may have copied it, when the disk CONTAINS COPY PROTECTION, which in this case cripples it and is the sole reason why I'm returning it??
They gave me a store credit for $7.41, which is amazing, considering I paid $9.99 for the full X&Y CD. :D
I never did try copying it. I only listened to 3 seconds of "Speed of Sound" to make sure it would play on my regular CD player. So...is is possible to buy a clean copy somewhere, or should I just download the mp3's and pray that Capitol Records goes out of business?
Thanks (it felt good to vent!),
Todd