In today's New York Times is a review[registration required] by David Pogue of the TEAC GF-350. It's a vinyl record player that lets you record from vinyl and tapes to CDs--essentially convert from a few generations old to last generation technology. Unlike computers and some other devices, the TEAC will only burn music to the special audio-only CDs which are supposed to prevent against serial copying, and for which the RIAA received a royalty under the Audio Home Recording Act--and I'd bet that the purchase of a TEAC device gives them a royalty as well.

From there, Pogue suggests that you rip the serial copy-protected CD you've created to your computer and convert the tracks so they'll play on your mp3 player. He used the example of recording his old college a cappella group record onto CD.

Policy wise, the article is interesting for a few reasons:

1. It illustrates how the record industry is paid for devices and media that consumers use to digitally record audio--whether or not the industry is entitled to that royalty (I don't imagine Pogue's a capella group had a contract).

2. Why didn't the TEAC device have an analog out? It may have worked nicely as a turn-table, CD player, and radio in a home entertainment system. Who knows, maybe it was a manufacturing / budget constraint (for a $400 turn-table, CD player combo?). Or did the manufacturer go out of its way to cripple its device to clamp-down on "piracy" for fear of liability?

3. Did David Pogue violate the DMCA by telling his readers a way around the serial copy-protected CD by using iTunes?

There's also a nice video version of the article by the author which can be found here.