I am this close to shunning corporate popular culture. Please, someone push me over the edge. I want to go.

If it works, it doesn't harm anyone. And since we're all complaining these days about the performance of our mutual funds, and we could well be partial owners of the record companies, it makes sense to me if they try.

But the value to them will be short lived...

Interesting article. I like the "sign of desperation" remark - very on-target. Companies that want to turn a profit are never going to see the big picture and will always focus on the bottom line, to their own loss.

It is interesting, therefore, to see that Universal is at least trying to do something different (by issuing a unique code with each CD that can be used to access special offers on their website). Put money into that sort of venture, not glued-shut CDs!

Let's make sure we're clear on this - - it's CD players that are glued shut, not the CDs. And these are only the advance copies that get sent out to reviewers.

Why should a reviewer feel slighted by this process? How do they lose?

Lydia, The company I work for is currently working on a project of this kind on behalf of a client. The client is planning to give CDs away in large stores. The CD would have some free content (music and video) on it, and some additional higher-quality content, which you can only access by downloading a key from their site and setting up a little application on your PC - for a fee, of course. Interesting stuff - but will it work (commercially and technically)?