[NIHON BUNKA KENKYUU] BUNKEN 101: Reviews, comments, and insights on Japanese pop culture.
A huge ruckus is being raised in Japan over CCCDs, or Copy Control CDs. Japanese music labels are insisting on attaching copyright software on to music CDs sold domestically, which of course runs counter to the large rental and MD player (and now MP3) culture of the country. Not to mention it is cruel and unusual punishment for people who actually go out and buy the CDs and because their options for playing have become limited (as in no car stereos and portable CD players). There is even talk of making them buy additional licensing just to be able to continue to play their purchased CDs.
The two camps are now fighting each other bitterly online, but so far the anti-CCCD camp seems to have the edge. Websites and forums discussing CCCD carry current listings of record companies who have and have not implemented the software. This will greatly affect the sales of the companies listed herein, which of course makes these money-munching moguls sit up and take notice. It remains to be seen how this will all eventually end, but for teh sake of music lovers everywhere, an acceptable compromise must be found between Japanes record companies and music-lovers.
Meanwhile, back in the Philippines, piracy is running rampant and there is little anyone can do to stop it. It's become so endemic to Philippine social culture that even musicians and music fans themselves are guilty of occasional music piracy. A close source once told us how the vocalist of a popular local band resorted to purchasing burned MP3 copies of albums from little known foreign bands whose CDs local chains don't seem to carry. The same close source also related that the vocalist of another big local act was asked by a loyal fan to sign a pirated copy of their CD because he couldn't afford to buy the original. The vocalist signed the CD anyway, but admonished the fan to try to purchase an original when he had the cash for it.
What these highly contrasting situations tell us is that music piracy, and protection from music piracy is one of those gray areas of culture. One can opt to only collect original CDs, but if record companies give you a raw deal, you end up getting screwed by the very people you'd like to support. On the other hand, if you purchase nothing but pirated material, how can you say you truly support an artist when you won't even pay them properly? It's a delicate balancing act between doing what you know is right and not having the means to do it. But whatever decision each individual comes to, as long as their conscience is clean, then all the best to them, and keep on rockin'.