The new Dave Matthews Band CD has that ridiculous Sunncomm non-DRM DRM on it — you know, the one that (a) has no effect on non-Windows machines and (b) can be bypassed by disabling Autoplay even on Windows machines. The idea is that the disk ships with a “data layer” containing special, crippled digital music files that work with Microsoft players (but not, of course, the most popular music player). To access them, you’re supposed to let the CD install special software on your PC, which we’re sure won’t cause any problems at all.

Of course, even if you play by these rules, you still can’t get the digital files into iTunes or onto your iPod, so DMB have actually posted instructions — fundamentally stupid, absurdly complex, around-your-ass-to-get-to-your-elbow instructions — for getting Mp3 files off the disk. Why they don’t just tell their fans what everyone in the tech world already knows — again, that the Sunncomm solution is absurdly broken and trivial to bypass is beyond me.

One more time: We at Heathen will not buy any CD shipped with Sunncomm’s bullshit plan. We expect we’re not the only ones. We further expect that adding DRM like this to CDs — which makes it harder for uninitiated buyers to move legally purchased music from CDs to iPods to whatever for personal use — makes it MORE likely, not less, that said buyers will simply resort to illegal downloading or copying from friends.

Remember, RIAA: your failed business model is not our problem. Give us something we want, and we’ll pay you for it. Keep fucking with us, and you’ll get wholly disintermediated.

(Mostly via MeFi.)