Copy-protected audio CDs, which aim to prevent a user from ripping its contents to a computer or other device, are beginning to be more widely distributed in the U.S., according to The New York Times (free registration required). The CDs have the side effect of being unplayable on some computers, including Macs. Among the critics of copy-protected CDs are consumer electronics manufacturers such as Sony Electronics and Philips Electronics, as well as Sonicblue and Apple, who believe the format would impact sales of their own products.