Indian Giver

Universal Music Group (UMG) believes that if you have, at any time, received a promotional copy of a CD from them, you had better know where it is. Thats right, the 'free' copies that UMG and their myriad of subsidiary labels hand out to reviewers, DJs, booking agents, and other hipsters are, according to them, on loan. They believe that you getting rid of their property by selling, giving away, or even throwing in the trash, amounts to 'unauthorized distribution'. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) thinks differently, and has U.S. Copyright Law title 17 section 92 chapter 1 to back them up.

Check out the story straight from the EFF website.
They even quote a silly discussion on goblin law from a Harry Potter book in their court papers equating UMG to the repulsive mythical creatures.


Mortiis on his hog.
(I don't know if he is Goblin, Elf, or Orc, but I do know that he is bad ass.


By the way, 90% of ALL CDs belong in the garbage, therefore 90% of promo CDs belong in the garbage as well. Can this really be considered 'unauthorized distribution', a.k.a. piracy?
AARRGGHH!

Another interesting factoid I came across while looking into this was the list of labels owned by UMG. It is impressive, and depressing, all at the same time. List of UMG labels
A quick round up includes:
Interscope, Geffen, A&M, Polydor, Delicious Vinyl, Def Jam, Island, Mercury, Rough Trade, Universal, Motown, and Decca.

And on top of all that, UMG is owned by Univeral Movie Studios, which is owned by Vivendi, which is owned by NBC, which is owned by GE. Thomas Edison founded GE and we all know that he was a ruthless bastard who electrocuted an elephant in public to try sell his DC power to us and discredit Tesla's AC power. What a prick.