RIAA/IFPI force CD cover site to take down its audio CD covers

CDCovers.cc, world's largest CD cover site, announced yesterday that they have been forced to take down all of their audio CD covers.

Quote from their site:

The money hungry people at the RIAA / IFPI have made it very clear that they don't want us to host audio covers anymore. It�s all about money folks and although we are a profit free organization that runs on voluntary basis those scumbags don�t give up and want to shut us down through threatening our host.

It�s been a great adventure but we cannot afford this anymore. Therefore we have decided to take the audio section offline for good. Thank you all for your support for the past 3 years.

Please don't mail us for any covers - we've deleted all the artwork. It's gone for good.

Source: CDCovers.cc

Written by: Petteri Pyyny @ 28 Nov 2002 12:59

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38 comments

Dela

OH DEAR GOD NO!!!!!! DAMN YOU RIAA/IFPI!!!!! DAMN YOU TO HELL :-(

28.11.2002 13:29 #1

8bit_bytr

once everyone's got ADSL we won't need to worry 'bout servers, everyone will be linked P2P with their own software, then these guys can bleat all they want but it'll do no good 'cos they'll be hidden behind firewalls and routed through their mates via wi-fi, try finding them through a leaked 811-b network, no chance ;-)

Play Atari today, it won't break-down tomorrow ;-)

28.11.2002 14:24 #2

A_Klingon

Dumb - dumb - dumb - dumb.

Dumber And Dumbest.

Stoopid - stoopid - stoopid - stoooopid.

Is it any wonder that people wonder if the RIAA is playing with a full deck? Don't these foolish IDIOTS have anything better to do with their spare time?

Now, they're "worried" about "protecting" the intellectectual property rights of their freeking *cover art* ?????

The coverscans seemed to me to be a pretty good advertisement vehicle for their various albums. FREE LP ADVERTISING!

(The dumb shitz).

-- Mike --

28.11.2002 14:32 #3

bevdavies

I think it is not faire aswell, the only reason I print out audio c.d. covers for c.d.s is because the c.d.s is so dear in the shops, has anyone have any other website I can use to print out c.d. covers thank you

29.11.2002 07:29 #4

Zepp

I'm also sorry to see this, but check out the new logo.. LOL :)

30.11.2002 04:12 #5

Dela

I know, I saw it. It's a pity really. I reckon cdcovers won't last much longer. The best place now to get audio covers (sadly) is kazaa because most of the covers that were on cdcovers.cc are on kazaa somewhere

30.11.2002 04:58 #6

Smeee

The RIAA is nailing their own coffin shut. Sooner or later every one is going to realize paying 1500% mark-up on CD's is B.S. The RIAA is just helping that along
-Smeee

30.11.2002 10:13 #7

skitz918

This is completely stupid.I used that site all the time ONLY to download cd covers for the 100's of Cassettes and Albums I already owned and converted to cd-r.Or to replace a long lost or worn out cover.What the hell the RIAA expects me to pay again for a cd that I allready have on cassette or lp.Freakin greedy bastards!Too Bad but I'm sure another site will pop up just as good.Besides It was just covers it's not like they had Whole albums for download or evan mp3's at all.I just don't understand this?????

2.12.2002 05:25 #8

Dela

That was the best site on the net for audio covers and probably wont be beaten for a long time!

2.12.2002 05:53 #9

adruk2002

what are they doing? i hope their profits fall like they did when napster closed down, they cannot expect to go on about rights of artists and copyrights then charge us �15 for a cd which cost�0.2 what about the rights of the consumer, i think we should boycott the music industry, and get ppl we know to join in too - adrian

2.12.2002 13:58 #10

Dela

Lucky enough you are!! $15 try �25 euro for a cd in Ireland. And at the moment the US Dollar is almost the exact same as the �.

You said that their profit fell after napster closed down. Is that true??

Afterdawn is run by great people who have ran this site perfectly for 3 years helping literally millions of people. The price of running this web site is very high so please visit some sponsors or consider a donation!

2.12.2002 16:21 #11

adruk2002

yeah the profits fell, the record industr is recovering from a slump in profits thats has happened since 2001. �15 is �22.5 at the current exchange rate so we are not that better off. i dont know how the RIAA can get away with what it does, it has too much power, the internet should be free and unregulated it was the whole principal it was built on, obviously the thousands of billions in profit the music industry get each year isnt enough to finance its war against the common man!

3.12.2002 07:52 #12

aazao

OK OK. The Music Industry is obviously just trying to protect their interest. But seriously, this will do no good. I wander if their was someone that had all the covers www.cdcovers.cc had? If so, I would be happy to post ALL-OF-THEM on my ftp for anyone to enjoy. I really used cdcovers.cc on a weekly basis and now will not be able to. Freedom is what this country was founded on but FREEDOM is slowly fading away. if anyone will stand with me to help create an ftp for these covers, or would like to contribute their collection so we can build a huge one, email me please : mp3@socal.rr.com

6.12.2002 06:03 #13

aazao

Anf before I'm done, I have to say. The Music industry is doomed. the bands will have to think up some different ways to make money. Obviously, raising prices on cds will only make people more aggitated and more likely to copy the cds. If they put copy guard on the discs, "WE" will find a way around it. Now this, taking our covers away. I did a search and it seems as if all the major cd cover sites are all shut down. My idea is get them via FTP, but believe that if there was individuals with a good cable or DSL connection, we could band together and get these covers spread around.

6.12.2002 06:08 #14

Dela

Apparently about 90% of all the audio covers cdcovers.cc hosted are somewhere on kazaa. I didnt have a big collection but cdcovers was pretty handy.

I would have to disagree with you on one thing. The recording industry isn't doomed. Bands do still make millions through tours, merchendise, fan clubs etc.. They're things we can't get on the net!! A very famous artist said "Music downloads is a small price to pay for a much larger fan base". I think there could be no truer words on this subject!

6.12.2002 10:36 #15

A_Klingon

I doubt very much (in fact, I'm certain), the traditional music industry will never vanish - there's billions on top of billions at stake. It will just get harder to back up music cds because of all the copy-inhibitors they're dreaming up every day now. But the (traditional) industry *will* change - it is changing now. P2P has seen to that. The forced closing of cdcovers.cc was just a spiteful attack on the public - a wild, vindictive stab at the masses.

I once visited the HMV music download site to take a look at a free promo they were offering, a few months ago. I did register, but could not get through to the actual Promo because of huge demand. (The available bandwith was clogged). A few weeks ago, I got a nice HMV email saying that if I wanted to, I could now get through, and that a membership had been reserved for me if I was still interested. (I wasn't). Then, just about a week ago, I got a final email notice: I had only till the end of the month to confirm membership, or I would be taken off the list. (I let it expire). Why?

Because:

You *must* use WMP Version 7 or higher to even get ON the website. (As you know, any version of WMP above and beyond ver 6.4 is _riddled_ with Digital Rights Management, requiring *permission* to play any given track(s). My final HMV email stated that if I wanted to continue to be able to play any tracks I may have previously downloaded (I hadn't downloaded any), I *must* register & sign up by month's end. (I did not).

In other words, you must be a credit-card-paying, currently-subscribing member to even play back the tracks you have already *paid* for! Even though you have *bought* tracks, the moment you decide (if you decide) to cancel your membership sometime in the future, anything you have downloaded now becomes dead music files clogging up your HDD.

Oh yes, HMV *did* promise that *some* of the tracks would be burnable to a blank disc, but *only* some. _They_ choose which specific tracks and how many (if any) will be freely burnable - you, as a subscriber, have NO choice.

Frig that shit. I said, "No Thanks!" I don't like being controlled by the music industry, and I *refuse* to be. They've been controlling the musical artists for years, and controlling US to whatever extent they can get away with - that control is slowly eroding, which is why we get these stupid spiteful RIAA attacks like the one against cdcovers.cc.

(Look around....you'll find cover sites, be diligent).

-- Mike --

6.12.2002 14:18 #16

8bit_bytr

Been put off myself from the comercial sites mainly because I use a 56K modem, I don't want to download the latest from Jools Holland only to find it sounds like it's been recorded in a biscuit tin 'cos of all the bad algorithums they use to degrade the sound quality, I here that WMP even plays MP3's badly to encourage the use of it's own propriety format. To remove a site that just provided CD covers is tragic, it's like saying you can look in the window but don't touch, unless you have got a credit card that is. I have bought ALL the music I own because I not only enjoy the music, but it is the only way to support the Artist, even if they only see 4% of the sale :( I don't want to pull this thread too far away so I'll just make one last comment;

I live in the UK, our government is about to change the licencing laws for live music, if it gets through many live venues will have to close and Music will be in the hands of the RIAA/IFPI, costs for a year could rise from �300 to �3000 for a live music licence, this will close many clubs, kill new bands and leave us in the world of 'POP IDOL' and 'FAME ACADEMY', Aaaaaagggh! the whole god damn industry needs an enema! :<

Play Atari today, it won't break-down tomorrow ;-)

6.12.2002 15:44 #17

RIAA_sux

hey klingon,
if ya could let me know where a good cover site to got to that is just as good as cdcovers used to be that would be great. but for now im still gonna try tearing down the RIAA.
And also i like the all the support PPL are giving cdcovers!!!

10.12.2002 23:57 #18

A_Klingon

The only thing I've frigged with for a bit is:

http://archive.xusenet.com/home.html

The bad news: You have to sign-up for an account. (No problem, they only want your email; takes 2-3 minutes). I've never received an unsolicited email from them yet.

Also, there is a daily download-limit for free usage. After that, you need to pay. (I have not gone beyond free status. You can visit and download every day though). Many many of the covers (hi-res scans) I recognize as coming from various sites like cdcovers *anyway*.

This is not a cover-site per se. It contains scans of just about *everything* you can imagine including, yes, all the very naughty stuff. (xxx).

However, I did a search on "The Beatles" and just about every hi-res scan I've ever seen previously, was there. (CD covers, Vinyl LP-covers, etc). You're apt to find stuff here you cannot get anywhere else.

Hope this helps.

-- Mike --

11.12.2002 01:47 #19

Dela

Cheers :-)

11.12.2002 06:43 #20

A_Klingon

Dela ! What ever became of you sig line ???-

-- Klingy --

11.12.2002 20:54 #21

Dela

Well, I use hotmail and when i click the link to the thread in a "thread has been updated" email, it opens a window with a "you're visiting a site outside hotmail" message in it and i have to enter my username & pass everytime i post a message and there is no checkbox for your signature! In the end, it's hotmails fault lol

12.12.2002 06:59 #22

A_Klingon

("Ah", he said, nodding reflectively), "now I see.")

Tags were meant to be updated frequently, anyway. :-)

-- Abercrombie Holbrooker Snodgrass III, Jr. --

12.12.2002 14:31 #23

Dela

Anyone ever tell you that you are a bit odd???? lol just kiddin mate!
:-)

12.12.2002 16:03 #24

aazao

As I said before, If there is something you guys are looking for, I may have it./ I have a database of at least 10,000 covers!

13.12.2002 06:01 #25

lorz__

i am looking for the back cover of new found glory, sticks and stones. does anyone know where i can get it? and how do i search on kazaa for cd covers? thanks

21.12.2002 11:24 #26

A_Klingon

That's kind of you to offer aazao, but I have no idea who would be willing to host such a huge database of scans.

Further, if they did, they might be the next target of the RIAA. Seems like a no-win situation all-around.

Btw, the link I posted (above) gives you lots of thumbnails of *all* available pictures for easy selection. Be sure not to click on anything just for 'casual' viewing though, because just looking at a scan will count against your daily limit. (Try to determine that you really want the pic before clicking on the thumbnail).

Don't know why, but some days I seem to be able to get lots of stuff; other days I can only get a few items.

-- Klingy --

21.12.2002 14:11 #27

Dela

They should give cd covers an entire new extension like .cdc or something and have dedicated programs for them. The p2p apps should add cd covers to their filetypes that you can search for and it would make cover finding well easy!

21.12.2002 14:57 #28

bevdavies

if you are looking for c.d. covers on kazaa, go on image and then you download what you want.

23.12.2002 03:05 #29

iguanna

I think the RIAA / IFPI are sad & have nothing else to do & to support this everyone should boycot the music industry like i have done since 1996. Someone should now set up something similar to CC covers in another country where the RIAA / IFPI have no control within the law of that country.

Damn the RIAA/FPI ...SCUM

23.12.2002 11:54 #30

iguanna

The internet is a great place for everything its a shame people like the RIAA / IFPI try to spoil this for everyone, We pay good money for DSL etc & they do this. But it wont stop me if i want a CD cover i will go to the shops purchase a CD & scan the cover then return there CD for a refund my excuse is uaually (i bought this CD for my sister as a present) but before i do that i will upload the cover to another cover site when i find one. if that scum had their way they would probably ban the internet.

Damn the RIAA/FPI ...SCUM

23.12.2002 12:57 #31

iguanna

I have just found another CD cover website its German, maybe the RIAA cant donthing about the laws in Germany?

http://www.ask.com/main/metaAnswer.asp?t=ai&s=a&MetaEngine=directhit&en=te&eo=2&o=0&frames=True&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecyberlinknew%2Ede%2F&ac=20&adcat=ent&pt=cyberlinknew%2Ede+%2D+DVD%2DCover%2C+PSX%2DCover%2C+PC%2DCover%2C+VCD%2DCover%2C&dm=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecyberlinknew%2Ede%2F&io=6&qid=F9EC84A5B476474D893AC0EF8FA7BA83&back=ask%3Dcd%2Bcovers%26o%3D0&ask=cd+covers&dt=021223150228&amt=&pg=1&qsrc=0

Damn the RIAA/FPI ...SCUM

23.12.2002 13:08 #32

AM4130

Found a good CD covers site in the link from iguanna . http://www.darktown.com/index_ie.htm

Loads of covers, not quite cdcovers.cc but the best replacement I've found so far. Don't the laws apply to German sites, most of the searches I've done have come up with them?

29.12.2002 08:38 #33

bevdavies

thanks very much, I will try that one

30.12.2002 02:41 #34

Dela

I checked it out too! Fairly good yeh but nuthing like cdcovers was!

30.12.2002 08:56 #35

Mr_Mister

What's the IFPI?

That's my main argument... wasn't file-sharing the basic principle that the internet was founded on (used to be people would share a PUD for WarCraft II or something over Telnet, then newsgroups came along and now... HTTP/FTP/P2P).
I was seriously thinking of hosting a bunch of MP3's on my personal website and seeing how long it would be until the RIAA found them and told me to pull them off there.
Where I live, Minnesota, for a CD like Eminem's The Eminem Show... I'd have to shell out at least $13.99 (before tax). If the artist only sees like 4% of that $13.99, Eminem would only get $0.56!
If they really cared about the artists (yeah, right), they'd lower the price of the disc and raise the royalty amount the artist gets from the sale of the disc.
I remember one glaring error that occured with an artist that I like... LeAnn Rimes' album "I Need You" was released without her permission (she had recorded the tracks from like 1998-2000 for a CD that she planned on releasing and then Curb Records went and released the album without her say-so). Curb went as far as releasing two different versions of the same album... one version only contained 11 tracks and the other version had 5 extra tracks that were just remixes.

On the file-sharing thing... what about the artists who support the P2P programs? LeAnn Rimes said in a chat once that she didn't mind if someone shared MP3's of her music. What if I only had music from artists who I know don't mind or care that their new album is shared over the internet? Would the RIAA still prosecute me even if I could show them evidence saying that those artists whose MP3's I'm sharing don't mind that I share their song?

IBM Aptiva E2N
266 AMD K6 3D processor
128 megs RAM
4 gig HDD
Internal: 8X Hitachi CDR-7980 (it's not a burner)
External: 4X/4X/24X USB CD-Writer+ 8200 (HP)

17.9.2003 23:05 #36

Kar008

SOON I WILL SHUT HMV DOWN PERMANENTLY FOR IT HAS DONE TO ME. WITH THE HELP OF YOU AND VIRGIN MEGASTORES THIS WILL BE POSSIBLE.SO WHO IS WITH ME.

ANYONE WHO IS AT HMV BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!!

ESPECIALLY EDINBURGH AT ST JAMES CENTRE.

5.10.2003 12:19 #37

Mr_Mister

HMV?
And I'm still not sure what the IFPI stands for.

IBM Aptiva E2N
266 AMD K6 3D processor
128 megs RAM
4 gig HDD
Internal: 8X Hitachi CDR-7980 (it's not a burner)
External: 4X/4X/24X USB CD-Writer+ 8200 (HP)

5.10.2003 19:14 #38

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