Reuters is reporting that, despite backlash from some angry fans, recent music CDs with anti-piracy technology are selling well, despite the fact that they're incompatible with iPods. Among the new releases are albums from Foo Fighters and Dave Matthews Band.

Writer Sue Zeidler says that the anti-piracy protection on the CDs enables listeners to make three copies of them, as well as store the music on a computer in Windows Media format, which is incompatible with the iPod. (Ms. Zeidler writes: "But the copy-protection bars users from importing music onto iPods since Apple's Fairplay software is incompatible with Windows." This is inaccurate because Fairplay is the DRM (digital rights management) included with songs purchased from the iTunes Music Store, which is of course available to Windows and Mac users.)

Ms. Zeidler notes that approximately a third of the 252 Amazon.com customer reviews of the Foo Fighters' new album complain about the situation, with one pointing out that "the copy protection scheme makes it totally useless to 30 million iPod owners." However, the albums are available for purchase through the iTunes Music Store, which would enable iPod owners to load them on their devices.

The reporter also cites a statement from Sony BMG, which said that "users can get the music onto iPods by transferring files to a PC, burning them to a CD, ripping those and transferring them into iTunes."

The reporter quotes an anonymous record label executive who said that "it's up to Apple to flip the switch" and make sure the WMA format works with iPods. Apple declined to comment. Meanwhile, the Foo Fighters's "In Your Honor" has sold over 736,000 copies, including 23,000 online downloads, while Dave Matthews' "Stand Up" has registered 1.1 million sales, including 56,000 online purchases.

Those numbers don't seem to reflect lost sales. To back that up, Ms. Zeidler quotes Billboard's director of charts, Geoff Mayfield, who says: "I haven't noticed them selling off par with their past albums. In fact the Foo Fighters' first week was the best week they've ever had."