Fans and listeners are angry after the new Beastie Boys album was found to contain DRM software that is secretly installed when the disc is inserted in Windows and Mac systems.

SOURCE: http://msl1.mit.edu/furdlog/index.php?p=2099


"It seems that Capitol Records has some sort of new copy protection system,
that automatically, silently, installs "helpful" copy protection software on
MacOS and Windows as soon as you insert the CD into default systems.
I'm not sure exactly what it does yet, but I am sure regreting actually
purchasing said media now... they don't deserve my money if they choose
to pull stupid stunts like this. Installing software without your permission
sounds like viral malware behaviour to me. I certainly hope the AV companies put signatures into their products for this crap."

This is appauling, not only is the copy protection meant to be easy to break, but it stops the CD working on normal players. There are possibilities of damage too, from what i've heard.

Does that make sense? It means the most this is going to do is stop inexperienced (ie people who can't search google for crack instructions) people from copying the CD for their car or walkman.

I think this is just a stunt to stop valid copying.

Buy vinyl. Rip, mix, burn.

Possibly one cure for this problem is to stop the "auto insert" and "autorun" options on your computer. Then the software will not load when disc is inserted. Unfortunately, in XP this involves changing a registry value. In Win2K, and earlier Windows versions, it is a lot easier to turn off autorun.

did they honestly think by doing this secretly that no one would notice??

I wonder if the Beastie Boys knew about this and could've agreed to it. If that's the case, they should be ashamed of themselves.

pardon? i'm interested in precisely how they managed to hack macos to allow installation of ANY software package without administrator passwords?

tech specs please?

I go to amazon.com and give a negative review to any album I hear about that is copy protected (and mention the DRM in my review, of course). I did this earlier today with Velvet Revolver's cd, even though I did mention that the music was pretty good, I still slammed it for having DRM. I know this is a small thing, but if I keep even one person from buying a cd, I've done something. I don't know how many people look at the reviews, but I have used the ones that are intelligently written to make decisions on purchases in the past, so I'm sure some people use them. I will have to review this cd when I get a chance.

I'm curious, has anyone else done anything like this?

I think Hitler did it once.

Beastie Boys is an act signed with an RIAA label?

The why is this even an issue?

"BOYCOTT" means DON'T BUY IT.

Anyone stupid enough to give the RIAA labels more money gets what they deserve. Especially those who should know better.

Harrummph!

this is an issue for me because, even though i dont buy beasty boys or even listen to them, I use osX, and have never seen a software package which can be installed without a root password.

In addition, I am concerned about such an exploit being used for that same purpose on other cds and )$)($%'ing up my OS.. or placed into viruses or popup ads.

got this URL from a story a couple links down from this one...check out the bottom of the page (of the link)

http://www.boingboing.net/2004/06/11/new_beasties_disc_ha.html

This is a kinda big deal for me since i bought that cd, ( sorry but i didnt really feel my boycotting one cd would bring the RIAA down, especially a cd ive been waiting six years for and bought the day it came out) and i put the cd in my comp cuz of course like anyone else who buys a cd, theyd prolly want to have a back up in case someone stole their cd's (which happend to me a few months ago 20 cds gone...)

i saw a thread on the beastie boys site tho sayin that the US and UK versions of the cd dont install the software, that all EMI cd's have this policy and that (tho im not sure if this is just because of the contreversy) that the beastie boys would have preffered for the cd's not to have the copyright protection, but that they dont have say in EMI's policy

anyway heres the link

http://www.beastieboys.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=20219

I own Beastie Boys CD's. Not anymore. Broken. Concert? Never again. Fuck off.

Yeah, sounds like the "shift" key is our friend in this case. Of course you have to make sure the "smart keys" function is turned off on Windows XP. Something I learned while using my mom's computer (which, unfortunately, has XP installed). Holding the shift key for 8 seconds automatically turns on the "smart keys" function. It says it's to keep the keyboard buffer from overflowing, but I've held the shift key down for a full minute with no adverse effects. Sounds to me like Microsoft is trying to get rid of holding shift while loading a disc.

don't use xp, still haven't bought any riaa crap. fuck 'em. they can eat their drm shit

I may upgrade to XP someday, but not anytime soon. Not as long as RedHat 9 and Win98 work for me. Hey, "longhorn" is coming up. I'm sure it'll make XP look great.

This is a pretty good thing to do to your computer so you dont have to bother with shift keys, just disable autoplay.

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/cd_autoplay_home.htm

Thats how to do it for xp home, even easier for 98 and ME, just right click ur cd drive and click properties and the option is in there.

" I still slammed it for having DRM. I know this is a small thing, but if I keep even one person from buying a cd, I've done something."

...it is NOT a small thing sinistermidget, it is a HUGE thing. And YOU DO a great service by telling folks about it when you find DRM on something. Our only weapon of any strength in the music war is educating others about these things.

Folks, the BEST way to avoid DRM problems from the music we enjoy is to STOP BUYING/USING RIAA PRODUCTS!

If still you "must" have an RIAA tune, simply download it (but not from a "pay" service like itunes or the new napster.) Just don't share it via p2p ...and NOT because the RIAA claims it is illegal/wrong to share a song via p2p, but rather, because sharing a song via p2p HELPS PROMOTE THE SONG! Don't promote the RIAA. Simple enough?

Shmoo, of Electric Gypsy
Support Local and Independent Music!

Having listened to the Beastie Boys latest release, all I can say is they can keep their DRM infected CD.

IMHO, the CD sucks. Beasties have been on a downward spiral of suckiness since "Paul's Boutique".

BEASTLEY!

My Beastie Boy collection? In the trash now. Fuck the beastie boys. I can't believe they would do this to us. HEY BEASTIE BOYS: FUCK YOU. Take your DRM shit and Shove it Up your Asses.

Beastly beasty boys beat the suckers on the streets
who only got dollars for a roof an som'n to eat
then you fork out the money to listen to their honey
and the disc slips in your lips like a misstrisssss...
with a chastity belt - massively felt
she brings her man an' he brings his belt.

yo, that's why we're here
spread the word on our own turf
don't need no D-R-M
to be our own men.

you gotta fight - for your right...

John Carlton speaking of Paul's Boutique or any Beastie Boys album ... i wonder if they paid for them samples... i love everything they pretty much do... very creative individuals... but you never know it might not be thier play.. there is alot of things in a bands or musicians career or music that they do not control..

you can control if you want to sign ...or stay signed to a major label or not. So, The RIAA artist's DO have a "say" in their own fate. (I don't think the RIAA is holding the artists' beloved children and family members at gunpoint saying "if you don't agree to do DRM we shoot" ...at least, not yet.)

Hey all, first post...
Man this hurts. I have been a Beastie fan for a loooooooooong time and they go and pull this? No fighting from a band thats pro-digital?I have been reading this site for a long time and because of it the Beastie Boys Anthology was my last waste of money. As soon as a friend of mine brought TT5B over I saw the copy controlled banner on the front, and I just sunk. I thought it would be hard to boycott this album but now its not a problem. Just hope I can survive for 2 more albums this year. Today the beasties lost a long loyal fan and boycott-riaa gained one!

wow, this is sorta shocking to me. I never though the Beastie Boys would do this.

Is it possible it wasn't their choice??

You can turn auto-insert off in XP simply by going to the cd-drive properties in hardware devices.

i have the feeling that boycott-riaa's community just got a few more people. hyperspeed. welcome to the group

Here's what I've done with both the Beastie
Boys CD and the Velvet Revolver CD. While
I didn't buy either, I looked at every user
review on Amazon.com. If someone said
something negative about the copy protection
or told others how to bypass it, I voted it as
being helpful. A few reviews said others were
whining about the copy protection when they
should have been reviewing the music, I said
that these weren't helpful.

Here's a link to a Princeton professor's
article on Suncomm's useless CD protection
shceme and how to bypass it:

http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~jhalderm/cd3/

Use Roxio, it worked for me without holding the shift key or any other tricks.
Thanks limefan913.

Are any non-RIAA labels using these protection schemes? It may not be enough only to boycott RIAA associated labels.

I'm beginning to be wary of buying any new CD, no matter the label.

Im not sure if everyone should be so fucking pissed at them. god damn, it said on their website atleast that they didnt have a choice in the matter, that they would rather it not have the protection but that they dont have a say in EMI's policy.

Throwing away your beastie boys cd's and boycotting them and stuff makes about as much sense as some terrorist lashing out against citizians for something they're president did or congress or whatever, when theres nothing the citizian could have done.

oh puhleeze

or they can say we want promote this as much as some or our DRMed bands... you really think bands have control when they are major label... their are only a few bands who eveen own the rights to thier music much less have any other say in how thier carreers go...

Philip J. Fry: Back in the twentieth century, I had all five of your albums.

Ad-Rock: That was a thousand years ago... Now we've got seven.

Philip J. Fry: Cool. Can I borrow the new ones? And a couple of blank tapes?