An open letter to Sony/BMG
[This was submitted through their online feedback form; the album in question is Cyndi Lauper’s “Body Acoustic”. If there is anyone in the Boston area who has purchased this disc and is unable to return it, I may be willing to buy it used; I’m unwilling to give Sony/BMG any money directly.]
By blatantly distrusting your customers even as you ask them to trust your software on their computers, you have achieved something amazing.
You have convinced me not to buy this album, and done so while I was at the store, with the CD in one hand and my credit card in the other, ready to purchase a CD that I had gone into the store specifically intending to purchase.
The disc went back on the shelf, the credit card went back into my wallet, and I went back out the door.
Congratulations. I’ve been buying CDs for almost 20 years, spending thousands of dollars over that time, and yet this is the first time anyone has managed to do this.
The most ironic factor, though, is that I’m a Mac user; XCP wouldn’t have stopped me from ripping the CD for one second. Even so, I am unwilling to buy a product that is intentionally damaged.
Yes, you’ve actually lost a sale, not because of piracy, but because of your own onerous restrictions on your paying customers.
It’s a shame, really; I like what I’ve heard. However, I’m even leery of buying the album through iTunes; how can I be sure that Sony/BMG won’t try to add similarly onerous requirements via their contract with Apple?
(I’m also sad that I feel I can no longer consider the top-rated Sony LCD HDTV as a purchase option. A company willing to mistreat customers buying an item selling for less than $20 can hardly expect my trust on an item costing over $1000.)
