http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/zd/20020224/tc_zd/5103674

For those disinclined to open, this is a decision stating (taken from the banner headline) "Makers of a recording by country-pop singer Charley Pride have agreed to stop tracking most listener habits and to warn consumers that the CD is not compatible with MP3 and other players, according to attorneys for a woman who sued the companies."

This is not a Napster issue or suchlike, though that is an offshoot. This is a decision that seems (to me) to simultaneously bolster privacy rights and re-affirm the public's rights under copyright law.

As a purchaser of a recording, part of my rights are to make archival copies (so that the original may be kept relatively pristine) for personal use. The law doesn't make provision stating "copies so long as they aren't digital" or "copies so long as they only are on magnetic audio tape" or "copies so long as they can only be played by being inserted up your dog's ass".

Nice to see that this may be explicitly stated. Again.

M