Sheryl Crow News

Rock stars, soul singers and famous faces from the movies came to Las Vegas on Thursday to help one of the world's largest computer companies make a pitch against digital piracy.

Rocker Sheryl Crow , U2 guitarist The Edge and actor Ben Affleck spoke out against piracy after a keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show by Hewlett-Packard Co. Chairman and Chief Executive Carly Fiorina, who pledged her company would protect artists' rights in all its devices.

Singer Alicia Keys , who performed two songs on stage, told the audience she regularly spoke with children about music piracy.

"I always tell them, 'You can download, but if you like what you hear, go out and buy it," she said.

Fiorina said the company would commit to either buying or developing the best software possible for content security, in a fervent speech in which she dedicated the company to battling piracy.

HP announced plans on Thursday for a digital music player based on Apple Computer Inc.'s wildly popular iPod player and said it would install Apple's iTunes music software on its computers.

Longstanding music industry executive Jimmy Iovine, the chairman of Universal's Interscope music label, gave a lengthy speech condemning piracy and called for changes.

"For the last few years, parents and children have been given a pass to do something they knew in their heart was wrong," he said. "We're going to support HP to the point where they're going to ask us to stop."

Iovine and Fiorina were joined on stage by the music industry figures, who also included country artist Toby Keith and producer Dr. Dre, to raucous cheers from a full theater audience.