The computer industry asks users to register their software to help prevent piracy. Why not the same for CDs? Instead of using technology to track and punish people who copy songs, why not provide some incentive for people to make a legitimate purchase? Perhaps registered owners could earn concert tickets, free merchandise, or get access to exclusive online chats with the artist for registering. It's impossible to stop people from copying audio, but you can give them a reason not to.
-- Drew
p.s. Furthermore, it might not hurt the cause if the price was reduced and the quality of the music was improved... people don't want to pay for it because it's not worth what they're asking.
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If you're suggesting sweepstakes, US law requires that anyone be able to enter, not just purchasers of a product. Instructions are usually provided in the small print of the sweepstakes announcement as to where you can mail a 3x5 card with specified information. So that won't work as an enticement.
If you're suggesting that everyone who buys a CD be given free merchandise, either the labels will have to increase the price of CDs to compensate, or they will have to take a smaller cut of the CD price as profits. They are not likely to do either -- they might do the latter, but only as a gimmick on an album or two. They're not going to slash their profits down across the board by a significant percentage.
Access to online content seems like a better idea, and makes the most financial sense, as it wouldn't cost the labels significantly. However, this is not something that would appeal to anyone except the most hardcore of fans. Most people just want to listen to the music, or if they want any information about the band, they can get it from countless free websites. Furthermore, whatever "exclusive" content that is put on the website, if it is compelling in any way, will just be downloaded and redistributed on filesharing networks just as the music itself is redistributed.
Face it, music and music-related resources are just not worth all that much in a world with so much music already in existence and more being produced every day, because it's so damn cheap and easy to produce and distribute music thanks to the advance of technology.
Well, it wouldn't be so much a "sweepstakes" as it would be like those "send 4 UPC codes and get this free toy" kind of thing. Or they could use the serial for the CD as an access number to an online chat or some other exclusive non-distributable "experience" instead of downloadable content.
As for the price of the CDs, if the incentive to buy boosts the sales appropriately, they shouldn't have to raise the prices. I mean, if they're hurting for sales now and people are buying at $18 a piece, they could stand to keep them at $18 if sales were on the rise again.
The overall point here is that incentives for purchasing are a more effective way to invest than anti-piracy schemes and litigation. You can't stop pirates, but you can encourage honesty.
Wilco allowed those who bought their previous album to listen to their EP online. They used the serial number as means for verification.
CDs are reproduced by stamping, not recording, so an embedded serial number int he cd or tracks wouldn't work.
However a serial number or email address could be added to downloaded tracks - but owuld be easy to remove with software.
The large cost of starting and maintaining the IT infastructure necessary to track millions of registered CD owners offers the record company virtually no benefit in return. I don't buy very many CD's. I recently purchased The Pick of Destiny by Tenacious D. I purchased this for three reasons: A.I like the band and I want them to make more music. B.By successful record sales, A will be more likely C.It was not $18...more like $14. Inside the CD was a loose piece of paper with a note something to the effect of: enter this code XXXXXXXX at www.somewebaddy.com and get an exclusive track.