COPY-BLOCKED CD TOPS U.S. CHARTS
By John Borland

For the first time, the No. 1 album in the United States is loaded with anticopying protections, marking a clear step into the mainstream for the controversial technology.

According to figures released by Nielsen SoundScan, Velvet Revolver's "Contraband" was the top-selling album in America last week, despite being prominently labeled on its cover as being "protected against unauthorized duplication."


The success of the album is likely to prompt more experiments from BMG, the band's label, and other record companies, industry watchers said.


"It's too soon to tell whether the rest of the industry is going to be heartened by this," said Mike McGuire, an analyst at GartnerG2. "But clearly, there are going to be a lot of people who are very encouraged by the fact it is out on the marketplace."

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