Hi,

As many others here, I have bought a few albums through the NPGMC those days. Now that the server is down, I am no longer able to legalize or verify these tracks, as each licence needs to be confirmed online by the NPGMC, using some kind of Digital Rights Management. What now? Did anyone experience the same problem? This really sucks, because these downloads were the bitter rest of what I had from joining the club. And again, as many other paying members, I have never received all the promised offline stuff... Now that I cannot even download anymore for what I have paid as well, really p##### me off.

Any help is much appreciated, thanks!

Sorry, I just noticed the other thread about it, which wasn't there a few days ago -- the title wasn't well-defined either. However, I can't believe it, and I wonder how other guys concerned deal with the situation. I used to have audio CDs of all the albums, but I have lost them in some car.
[Edited 1/22/07 18:03pm]
[Edited 1/22/07 18:15pm]
[Edited 2/1/07 9:26am]

you're screwed like the rest of us. I hate to tell you that but it's true.

Yes indeed we're screwed, but the question is, will they (NPGMC) get away with it???

Basically, you bought some music from the NPGMC, and now a couple years later they literally take it away from you. In my mind that is THEFT!!! I don't think that ever got legalized.

I think, if everybody who got screwed gathers, we may have a strong case against them!

But... the NPG is not the only one to blame. It's the inventors of this bloody DRM system. This system was introduced to download music the legal way, so that's a good thing. But companies (like NPGMC) may go out of business. What then! You're screwed. So the DRM system is not perfect.

And don't say I should have backed up my licenses! Because I did, and they are completely USELESS when having bought a new system or when you have installed MS Media Player 11.0, so don't say that!!!

Anyway, I will call my lawyer today...

Just noticed in the other thread that apparently a lawsuit is pending. Will be quite interesting to follow...


[Edited 1/25/07 2:11am]

[b][Edited 1/25/07 2:20am]

the server was actually still up for a couple months following the closing of the site.

btw...a new system, yea typically you cant recover those licenses, but if you just made changes to your current system, i.e. upgraded something, you can actually go in and reset some code to get the system to grab the license from the backup.

but, if you didn't backup, or got a new system, why didn't you burn to disc? it was a widely discussed topic on the boards that you should always burn them to disc to rip out the license because DRM JUST SUCKS! This is true of any site that uses DRM, always, always BURN TO DISC TO RIP THE LICENSE OUT!

>>always BURN TO DISC TO RIP THE LICENSE OUT
or even easier, never ever again purchase DRM protected music.

I reinstalled my PC and I did have a backup of my license, I even have a copy of my old C:\ drive where the license files are stored. But I have not been able to restore my license and I'm not able to play the files anymore.

>>This system was introduced to download music the legal way
This is how it was marketed, but if you look at Apple and iTunes the DRM is a way for apple to control the consumers to stick with iPods. The various DRM schemes provides companies with a nice lock-in mechanism to prevent competition.

MS now has PlaysForSure and the new Zune DRM scheme. Apple has their scheme and Windows Vista is nicely crippled for play back of "premium content". See http://www.cs.auckland.ac..._cost.html for the juicy details.

DRM does nothing for the consumer, it only makes things more complicated than it has to be and it adds cost which the consumer has to pick up. Not a very good value proposition in my opinion.

The only way to get rid of DRM is to stop buying DRM protected music. Same goes for CDs with copy protection. If I pick up a CD in a store and it saids it has some sort of "copy protection" on it I simply put it back on the shelve.

Terrible here as well. I found no way yet (legal or illegal) to crack the files. I do have copies of all the audio-files. I burned them myself before or downloaded them somewhere else. What i most miss is the video-file of the Musicology tour. The video where he plays the Question of u, The one and Falling.
If there is somebody who can deliver me a copy i would thank the lord!

Arthur.

To be honest, I don't care too much anymore. One thing's for sure: I will never ever spend my money on these kinda things again. I don't know who's to blame in this case. I mean, what does the licence agreement say? It's almost impossible to give a lifetime guarantee for the DRM, because that would mean the server had to be online forever. At some point, I guess, it's just normal that a server comes down or changes. At least, they could have come up with an alternate server or even an explanation and excuse for all that -- that is the thing that makes me mad actually.

Another thing's for sure as well: I will never ever spend my money on a Prince Fan Club again, because the only thing that I got from it really was this stupid download New Year's Eve some years ago, an .mp3 of Empty Room (Live). That's it! I have never received anything of the promised gifts and specials, not even the One Nite Alone package.

One Nite Alone: They told us, we would be the privileged to get this special CD Box Set -- available for members only, and for no one else. The thing is, it never reached my mailbox, but therefore presumably I found it at a few record stores around, for $60 or something. Promises and lies -- two of both!

So, to sum it up: I spent $120 for a damn .mp3 download, but for only $60 the whole Box Set could have been mine already. I never bought it later on and I won't, of course, by the way. I try not to think about all the other promises.

And I wonder why we just let them do what they want, let them screw us -- but still we're buying their products! The same thing happened with MJJsource, a Michael Jackson Fan Club, which closed a few months ago as well, leaving their paying members alone with only a few photo downloads! Michael Jackson obviously wasn't involved -- I think it was ran by Randy and some others, but still it sucks a lot! I'm pretty sure that it's just about making fast money by simply exploiting the fans. It's that easy. I remember some of them got together and mobilized their lawyers those days, but I don't know what has come out of it.

Pretty much the same was the Rodney Jerkins Darkchild Membership. They promised lossless FLAC downloads of his experimental download-and-members-only album Versatility, and guess what, they didn't bring it. Of course, it's completely impossible to get an authority or person in charge on the line or reach anyone who feels responsible via e-mail. They simply do not react at all, 10+ e-mails and no response. Anyone who is interested in that album, let me know, because I'm gonna share it with you. They broke their part of the engagement, so I guess I don't have to stick to mine either!

Fundamentally, it's a crime. All of this proves that cheating has become a pretty easy way to make fast money when needed. Just forget about the few fans that are mad about it, they can do without them. No one's gonna hear or believe the stories of the small guy anyway…

I tell you what: Make yourself heard and do something against it, because they don't give a shit about you!

I found that fortunantly I had burned the trax to CD for my truck....I lost access to the videos only.... maybe on Friday...the "New" music store will open for business with all of the old shit there....