[Free-sklyarov-uk] Natalie Imbruglia CD, strange strange CD format

[Jim Peters]

Just thought I'd bring everyone's attention to this Natalie Imbruglia
CD.  Quick summary:

Mac OS X/iBook-DVD: Track 1 doesn't play or rip, rest okay
Mac OS X/iMac-DVD:  Track 1 doesn't play, rest okay (ripping not tested)
Mac OS 9/iBook-DVD: All tracks play and rip okay
MiniDisk:  Refuses to record digitally
PS2:       Track 1 won't play, rest okay
Linux:     Tried extracting tracks (cdparanoia), disk is not always
            recognised first time.  Out of 12 tracks, only track 3 
            extracts cleanly - all others hang with read errors 
            (probably work better with a better drive than mine).
Windows:   Runs a custom MP3-player from the CD, playing data from a 
            30Mb data file of unknown format (according to a report 
	    I've just had).

I've verified that the large data file exists from Linux - and it
won't play directly as an MP3 file.

Here's the summary I've got on the site right now:

  http://uk.eurorights.org/issues/cd/bad/

  "White Lilies Island" by Natalie Imbruglia: This is protected by
  Cactus in the UK. There is no warning label (except for a small
  copyright for Cactus Data Shield). On Mac OS X, track one cannot be
  played at all. The CD cannot be recorded digitally to MiniDisk. On a
  PS2, track one also won't play (the rest are okay).  Audio cannot be
  extracted on a Linux box due to errors whilst reading. On Windows,
  the machine picks up a 40Mb data partition that contains a custom
  MP3-based player and 30Mb data file of unknown format. This is all
  very strange.

I really wondering if they've thrown every possible combination of
mechanisms into this CD, and then let us test them for them.  I mean,
that's what's happening - we're doing their research for them.  CD
format testing the open-source way - many hands make light work.

This makes me sick.

I wonder if Natalie Imbruglia is okay with this being done to her
work ?

Jim

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