A less damaging "innovation" was noted several months ago when one of the distributors used a non-standard format on some CDs and they wouldn't play on many common kinds of players. I think that one got disguised as "player incompatibilities" and drifted under the general fog. At least that one didn't break your boom-box, so only the few performers who lost sales when the word got out were harmed.

It also was intended as an "anti-copy" device; and I guess since you can't copy it if you can't play it, it was "successful(?)."

John