OK, it's Coldplay and they're crap, but this is getting increasingly common.Coldplay's new CD comes with an insert that discloses all the rules enforced by the DRM they included on the disc. Of course, these rules are only visible after you've paid for the CD and brought it home, and as the disc's rules say, "Except for manufacturing problems, we do not accept product exchange, return or refund," so if you don't like the rules, that's tough.
What are the other rules? Here are some gems: "This CD can't be burnt onto a CD or hard disc, nor can it be converted to an MP3" and "This CD may not play in DVD players, car stereos, portable players, game players, all PCs and Macintosh PCs." Best of all, the insert explains that this is all "in order for you to enjoy a high quality music experience." Now, that's quality.
I wonder how Coldplay feels about their fans getting all these rules set down for them by the music label? I wonder if most fans who read these rules will be wise enough to blame corporate, or whether they'll just decide to dig up a band whose label treats them like customers, not crooks? It's amazing how the labels always seem to come up with new ways of screwing artists: if they're not cheating them out of royalties, they're systematically alienating their fan-base.
I'm not sure how legally enforceable a condition of use is when it's only visible after you've bought the CD (these rules are inside the packaging) as you cannot make legally binding additional terms and conditions after the contract (in this case, the purchase of the CD) has been completed. But when it's Joe Bloggs vs a multi-national music-industry corporation then it's not always a fair playing field in the courts.
How would you feel if you found a note in the next (here's hoping) Sisters CD saying that you couldn't play it on your computer (certainly not unless it's running Windows). Or your DVD player. Or the CD Player in your car. Or on your portable CD player. (All of these are excluded in the list in the linked article).