We know for a fact that Virgin Entertainment Group is divesting themselves of all 52 offending titles and that Tower Records will most likely follow suit sometime today. Nevertheless, most retailers are reluctant to comment on what has quickly become a PR nightmare. The publicity departments at the major CD outlets have not been returning media phone calls.
Many insiders are opining that retailers that knowingly sell product with the rootkit software could be opening themselves up for the same kinds of class-action lawsuits that are now hitting Sony BMG.
The XCP encoded titles sold some 210k units last week. That means that retailers nationwide could lose as much as 30k a day in unit sales. Of course, 92k of those 210k units were Neil Diamond CDs. His latest Rick Rubin-produced album, 12 Songs, debuted at #4 on this week’s chart. Although many of the affected titles are catalog, other major releases include Bette Midler and Switchfoot.
GRAMMY CHEW: WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE, ANYWAY?
Those who fail to learn from the past are destined to repeat it. (12/6a)
| ||
EGGNOG!
Ours is mostly bourbon.
MISTLETOE!
Delicious in salads.
CHESTNUTS!
Ours are roasting, but it could be these slim-fit jeans.
WEED!
An entire Christmas tree made of it. Is what we want for Christmas.
|