[chadh]

I understand the basic principles of using digital copies of recorded music.  If I'm listening to a digital copy, it should be the case that I own the original from which it was ripped.  So, what happens when I buy a CD that is flawed, and one or more tracks cannot play?  Am I only entitled to digital copies of the flawed track?

I ask this because I received a delivery yesterday from Best Buy:  my boxed set of five Coltrane discs from the Impulse! label.  Four of the five discs are fine.  But the last track on "Coltrane" is totally messed up.  I can't get EAC to read it.  I don't want to send everything back, because 4 of five disc are fine, and it's only one track from the other that is faulty.  Moreover, I don't really care whether the disc works because I'm only likely to use flac files from my music server.  Ideally, I'd like to send out a message to all my AC brothers and ask someone for a flac copy from their version of the same disc.  Given that I own the disc, it seems that this should be acceptable.  But perhaps I'm only entitled to the faulty version given that's all I've purchased. 

What do you think?

Chad

[maxwalrath]

If you bought the set with the knowledge of the track being un-listenable, then you would not have the ethical right to the song. 

The alternatives are worse for all parties.  You either don't get the song, which hurts you.  Or you return the set and replace it with a new one, costing you a lot of your time, and costing Best Buy / the music company a bunch of money. 

Since you paid Best Buy for the entire set, I would say that it is not ethically wrong to get a copy of the track.  You paid for that song, simple and plain. 

[chadh]

Yeah,  my feeling is that I'm entitled to a version of the music that works if I paid for it.  I guess the real question is whether it's inappropriate to post a public request for a copy of a track, given that I think I'm entitled to it.

Chad

[bprice2]

Chad,

Have you tried ripping those tracks with software other than EAC?  You might even want to try ripping on another computer.  Might solve your problem.

I agree with Max.  What you propose is completely ethical.  I don't know if I'd post a request for tracks, though.  Those RIAA guys scare me.

BTW...the Inguz RC is working out extremely well.  I got it working right now and would never go back to listening without. 

Max, I'm still loving those Omegas you sold me!

[maxwalrath]

I agree with Max.  What you propose is completely ethical.  I don't know if I'd post a request for tracks, though.  Those RIAA guys scare me.

Thanks.  For practice in ethical reasoning, check out "The Ethisict" column in the NY Times Sunday Magazine.  That guy takes ethics arguments and breaks them down using formal logic....always a good column.

Max, I'm still loving those Omegas you sold me!

I aim to please (and to get a bigger listening room so I can try 'em one day!!)