license issue with mp3 stuff

windows vista home premium/ windows media player 11

Today I can no longer play certain mp3's I have. I am told I need a
license and to get it, I am sent to a website that does nothing.
http://wmasf.musicnet.com/


No information on the website is offered to obtain the license other
than to go to certain other websites, and pay for the license.

Up until today, I could play the mp3's with no problems.
Perhaps due in part in using "Rhapsody" for the first time.

My problem is, how and where exactly do I obtain this "license" which
should be free, or at least at bare minimal cost for ALL of my mp3's?
Not just a select few.

It's my damn property, microsoft ain't gonna tell me how and when i
can use it.

How could those be MP3 files? Either they're not MP3s or your decoder is
broken. This isn't how MP3s work.

--
Speaking for myself only.
See http://zachd.com/pss/pss.html for some helpful WMP info.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
--
"richard" <> wrote in message
news:...
> windows vista home premium/ windows media player 11
>
> Today I can no longer play certain mp3's I have. I am told I need a
> license and to get it, I am sent to a website that does nothing.
> http://wmasf.musicnet.com/
>
>
> No information on the website is offered to obtain the license other
> than to go to certain other websites, and pay for the license.
>
> Up until today, I could play the mp3's with no problems.
> Perhaps due in part in using "Rhapsody" for the first time.
>
> My problem is, how and where exactly do I obtain this "license" which
> should be free, or at least at bare minimal cost for ALL of my mp3's?
> Not just a select few.
>
> It's my damn property, microsoft ain't gonna tell me how and when i
> can use it.
>

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:43:17 -0800, "zachd [MSFT]"
<> wrote:

>
>How could those be MP3 files? Either they're not MP3s or your decoder is
>broken. This isn't how MP3s work.
>

Ok. Kind of an error on my part. They are "WMA" files. Even so wmp11
directs you to a website which does nothing. Giving you absolutely no
information on obtaining a license.

Sounds like they were purchased online by track, and they're telling you to
prove you bought 'em legally.

Are you using them on a different computer?

Just went through this with stuff I bought from MusicMatch and had forgotten
about till I decided to burn a new printable CD this week.

MM is now owned by Yahoo and it took forever . . . .


"richard" <> wrote in message
news...
> On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:43:17 -0800, "zachd [MSFT]"
> <> wrote:
>
>>
>>How could those be MP3 files? Either they're not MP3s or your decoder is
>>broken. This isn't how MP3s work.
>>
>
> Ok. Kind of an error on my part. They are "WMA" files. Even so wmp11
> directs you to a website which does nothing. Giving you absolutely no
> information on obtaining a license.
>

That's the license reissuance URL that WMP was given for that content. If
that URL doesn't work, contact the vendor directly (their web site or
whatnot) and ask for license reissuance. Only the vendor can make those
files work.

--
Speaking for myself only.
See http://zachd.com/pss/pss.html for some helpful WMP info.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
--

"richard" <> wrote in message
news...
> On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:43:17 -0800, "zachd [MSFT]"
> <> wrote:
>
>>
>>How could those be MP3 files? Either they're not MP3s or your decoder is
>>broken. This isn't how MP3s work.
>>
>
> Ok. Kind of an error on my part. They are "WMA" files. Even so wmp11
> directs you to a website which does nothing. Giving you absolutely no
> information on obtaining a license.
>

On Fri, 18 Jan 2008 03:19:22 -0800, "zachd [MSFT]"
<> wrote:

I have. They act like they have no idea what's going on.
I know you may not be a lawyer, but what gives these "vendors" the
legal right to attach a "license" to copyrighted material they do not
own the copyright to?
As these are "WMA" files, which is a microsoft product, then the
license should actually come from microsoft, which should be nothing
more than a formality. Microsoft does not have the legal authority to
protect a copyright that is not theirs.

Last night, I tried out several converters. Only problem is, most of
them balked and said because of the license issue, they could not
convert. Again, what gives microsoft the right to deny use of
copyrighted material they did not copyright?



>
>That's the license reissuance URL that WMP was given for that content. If
>that URL doesn't work, contact the vendor directly (their web site or
>whatnot) and ask for license reissuance. Only the vendor can make those
>files work.
>
>--
>Speaking for myself only.
>See http://zachd.com/pss/pss.html for some helpful WMP info.
>This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:55:10 -0500, "Bill Condie"
<> wrote:

>Sounds like they were purchased online by track, and they're telling you to
>prove you bought 'em legally.
>
>Are you using them on a different computer?

Yes and this one has vista premium. If I have to, I may put XP on it
just to avoid the license problem.

I got these songs from usenet so it's possible the poster got them
from a pay source.

>
>Just went through this with stuff I bought from MusicMatch and had forgotten
>about till I decided to burn a new printable CD this week.
>
>MM is now owned by Yahoo and it took forever . . . .
>

Don't think that will help. The number of uses/devices is limited.

"richard" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:55:10 -0500, "Bill Condie"
> <> wrote:
>
>>Sounds like they were purchased online by track, and they're telling you
>>to
>>prove you bought 'em legally.
>>
>>Are you using them on a different computer?
>
> Yes and this one has vista premium. If I have to, I may put XP on it
> just to avoid the license problem.
>
> I got these songs from usenet so it's possible the poster got them
> from a pay source.
>
>>
>>Just went through this with stuff I bought from MusicMatch and had
>>forgotten
>>about till I decided to burn a new printable CD this week.
>>
>>MM is now owned by Yahoo and it took forever . . . .
>>

In message <> richard
<> wrote:

>On Fri, 18 Jan 2008 03:19:22 -0800, "zachd [MSFT]"
><> wrote:
>
>I have. They act like they have no idea what's going on.
>I know you may not be a lawyer, but what gives these "vendors" the
>legal right to attach a "license" to copyrighted material they do not
>own the copyright to?

The copyright owner reaches a licensing agreement with the vendor.

On Fri, 18 Jan 2008 10:41:07 -0500, "Bill Condie"
<> wrote:

Which violates the copyright laws.
When you purchase an item in a store, they are, by law, granting you
unlimited use of that item. They can not do so otherwise. They do not
own the copyright.

So you buy a car and you can use it only for 10 times?
I don't think so.


>Don't think that will help. The number of uses/devices is limited.
>
>"richard" <> wrote in message
>news:.. .
>> On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:55:10 -0500, "Bill Condie"
>> <> wrote:
>>
>>>Sounds like they were purchased online by track, and they're telling you
>>>to
>>>prove you bought 'em legally.
>>>
>>>Are you using them on a different computer?
>>
>> Yes and this one has vista premium. If I have to, I may put XP on it
>> just to avoid the license problem.
>>
>> I got these songs from usenet so it's possible the poster got them
>> from a pay source.
>>
>>>
>>>Just went through this with stuff I bought from MusicMatch and had
>>>forgotten
>>>about till I decided to burn a new printable CD this week.
>>>
>>>MM is now owned by Yahoo and it took forever . . . .
>>>