NANTERRE - Unfortunately not. EMI is not allowed to release defective CDs, a French court decided. But EMI wasn't forbidden to release copy protected CDs per se.

  Last week's ruling is a victory for UFC. A French consumer rights organization, which has been protesting against copy protected CDs for years now, because copy protected discs won't play in a lot of car stereos, computers and portable players.

  Furthermore, UFC says the record companies only release copy protected discs in Europe, because in the US they're afraid of getting sued. But now it seems they are no longer safe in Europe either.

  The case was set up around a release of EMI France, the new CD of French singer Alain Souchon, according to press agency AFP. The judge ruled in favor of UFC. EMI is obligated to compensate the buyers of the CD. This means that EMI must refund customers who have bought CDs they can't play, or provide them with a full-working copy.

  On the other hand, a consumer who reported EMI Australia to the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) for the same thing, got turned down.

• The Register
• The Age