Chances are it s this criminal element that record companies are hoping to stave off by reconfiguring CDs to be copy-proof. Record companies are scrambling to regain control of the product that technology helped spin out of their control. At first, the 'Net seemed like a great marketing tool. But then the copyright issues came to the fore, and it became painfully obvious that anarchy was not the best way to make a buck in the record industry. We all know how the clampdown on Napster turned out.
Companies are clamoring to get in bed with the music service and charge fees.
Then CD burners came about and record industries were sure that the word of mouth from teenagers burning CDs and sharing them with friends would be beneficial. But then it dawned on them that if teenagers could burn CDs, so could criminals. Now they are huddling to figure out how to thwart those efforts. It won't be long before some new technology appears that lets people access music for free. But in the meantime, the record companies' Big Brother attitude is setting the pace for other virtual goods such as share-proof books, movies and software.