I think your'e right, it's a new protection scheme to stop you copying CD's. If you do copyy this CD and then try to play the copy on a normal CD player all you will get is an awful screeching sound.
The downside is ( apart from the fact you can't copy it ) is that they wont play on CD roms either. I don't know of any hacks, cracks or tricks around it.
I do know that you have a perfect right to take it back and demand one without this protection. It's not fit for the purpose it was sold for. Does it say on it "will not play on PC cd roms! ? After all, if all you have is a PC cd then you can't play it all.