Corrupt CDs

1. Prevent you from copying it for personal use or
2. Prevent you from playing on any computerized device (computers, DVD players, game consoles like PlayStation, MP3 players, consumer CD duplicators, high-end stereo equipment and car CD players).

Reported Corrupt CDs

Worldwide

• All Universal Music label albums starting in October, 2001. Look for the Universal Music label on your music.
• Michael Jackson promotional single: You Rock My World (Worldwide, Sony)
• Charley Pride: A Tribute to Jim Reeves (Worldwide, Fahrenheit Entertainment/Music City Records)

The Americas

• 2-Pac: Until the End of Time (USA, Universal/Interscope)
• Aerosmith: Just Push Play (USA, Sony/Columbia)
• Tori Amos: Strange Little Girls (USA, WEA/Atlantic)
• Crazy Town: Gift of Game (USA, Sony/Columbia)
• DC Talk: Supernatural (USA, EMD/Virgin)
• Len Doolin: Once in a Lifetime (USA, Sunbird Records)
• Tim McGraw: Greatest Hits (USA, WEA/Atlantic/Curb Records)
• N'Sync: Celebrity (USA, BMG/RCA)
• Leann Rimes: You Light Up My Life (USA, Curb Records)
• Sopranos: Sopranos 2 soundtrack (USA, Sony/Columbia)
• System of a Down: Toxicity (USA, Sony/Columbia)
• The Watchmen: Slomotion (USA & Canada, EMI)

Europe

• Dan Barta: Illustratosphere (Czech Republic/Sony)
• Blumentopf: Eins A (Germany, Unknown)
• Gregorian: Masters of Chant Chapter II (Europe, Edel)
• Ozark Henry: Birthmarks (Belgium, Unknown)
• Him: Razorblade Romance (Germany, BMG)
• Natalie Imbruglia: White Lillies Island (UK, RCA)
• Just the Best: April 2001 (Germany, Zomba/BMG/EMI)
• Kosheen: Resist (UK, Moksha Recordings/Arista/BMG UK)
• Love Parade (Germany, BMG)
• N'Sync: Celebrity (Germany, Jive/BMG)
• Heather Nova: South (Germany, Sony/V2)
• Phillip Boa & The Voodoo Club: My Private War (Germany, BMG)
• Right Said Fred: Fredhead (Germany, BMG)
• Rosana: Rosana (Italy, Universal)
• Smog: Rain On Lens (UK, Drag City)
• Sting: All This Time (Denmark, Unknown)
• The Dome: Volume 19 (Germany, BMG/Sony)
• Various Artists: Kuschelrock 15 (Germany, Unknown)
• Viva: Hits 14 (Germany, EMI)
• VNV Nation single: Genesis (Europe, Mindbase/SPV Gmbh)
• Volumia: Puur (Netherlands, BMG)
• Wolfgang Petry: Achterbahn (Germany, BMG)

Asia and Oceania

• Red Hot Chili Peppers: Californication (Australia, WEA/Warner Bros)
• Triple J: Hottest 100, Vol.3 (Australia, EMI/Virgin)

Probably Not Corrupt CDs

• Enya: Day Without Rain (Warner Brothers)
• Vicente Fernandez: Mas con el Numero Uno (Mexico, Sony)
• Groeten Uit Salou 4 (Netherlands, EMI)
• K's Choice: Cocoon Crash (Germany, Sony)
• Live: V (UNI/Radioactive)

Various Questions

• Limited Batches : Why are some CDs being reported corrupt by some people and not corrupt by others?
• Macintosh Immune to Corrupt CDs? Are Macintosh computers immune to these new, corrupt CDs?

What can you do about it?

1. Buy from independent artists who get most of your money to support their efforts. While musicians signed to record labels might receive as much as $1 an album from the $15-20 you spend on them, Indies get 70-100% of the money you share with them. Why are you paying record label executives 90-95% of your purchase price for work that the artist does?
2. Don't buy the music. Remember, while we may be able to vote in elections every 2-4 years, we vote daily with our money. If they don't have your money, the labels will (probably) be smart enough to stop pulling this kind of stunt.
3. Be the Queen or King of Cool (OK, that's lame). Grab this jazzy poster and share it with your family, friends and colleagues. If the media doesn't have time to cover this, there's no one left but us.
4. Go to online shopping sites like Amazon.com and their competition. Share the news with people who may not know by reviewing the album. Share web addresses (e.g., news report web addresses, or http://www.fatchucks.com/corruptcds). Rinse and repeat, but tell the truth and provide evidence for what you say.
5. Buy the corrupt CD (that doesn't have any "No Play in Computers" warning on it). Open it and try to play it in your computer; when it fails to work, return it to the store and tell them it's defective. Demand your money back because the CD is defective. Remember - stores are only allowed to return a small percentage of their merchandise to the label before they have to start eating the cost of returns themselves.
   General Tip: If you use the last option, be a little bit thoughtful and don't go to your local, independent record store. Major record labels generally don't care if the indie stores go out of business. Use the big chains that ship in bulk - Tower Records, Music Land, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, etc., they can afford the returns better than a small margin Indie store can.

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