Apple for DRM-free Music

[jackofallgeeks]

Ok, so this may just be him covering his ass, but I like Steve Jobs a lot more after reading This. From the article:

Imagine a world where every online store sells DRM-free music encoded in open licensable formats. In such a world, any player can play music purchased from any store, and any store can sell music which is playable on all players. This is clearly the best alternative for consumers, and Apple would embrace it in a heartbeat. If the big four music companies would license Apple their music without the requirement that it be protected with a DRM, we would switch to selling only DRM-free music on our iTunes store.

Why would the big four music companies agree to let Apple and others distribute their music without using DRM systems to protect it? The simplest answer is because DRMs haven’t worked, and may never work, to halt music piracy.

Comments

[dikaiosunh.livejournal.com]

I'd believe his sincerity a lot more if iTune's EULA didn't prohibit converting the music into other formats (including oughta-be-legal means like burning a track you bought onto CD and ripping it back as an mp3), and if the iPod played other formats (surely the record companies didn't put a gun to his head and insist that the iPod not play wmv files?)

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

Actually, that first is a legal issue; I don't know the exact what and wherefores, but 'removing DRM protection' is apparently a criminal offense, fair-use be damned. The RIAA, MPAA, and others like them don't seem to be too keen on fair-use, anyways (see also: internet parodies using copyrighted audio or video for parody, which have been attacked, or at least severed infringement-based cease-and-desists) .

As for the second... Well, wma was a Microsoft-proprietary format last I checked, and you can't *really* blame him for not playing nice with The Adversary. You've got me on the particulars about any other pet format you'd like to send up, but from what I've seen of the RIAA's gameplan, I wouldn't be surprised if they DID hold a proverbial gun to Apple's collective head -- "play by our rules, play only DRM'd music, or we don't sell you the licenses." Imagine, a wide-spread, popular music player that wouldn't play music downloaded from 'outside' sources; that'd show those pirates!

Take any of what I say with a grain of salt, though; I don't hate much, but I hate the RIAA. A lot.

[dikaiosunh.livejournal.com]

On the first, fair enough. Maybe they have to put that in for legal reasons, and secretly Steve Jobs doesn't care what I do with my music (though I'd note that the law can't be against removing DRM protections, since the DRM is moot as soon as I burn it to CD, not when I rip it back, and no one is stopping iTunes from letting me burn CDs).

But the second, OK - mp3, then - last I checked, iPods won't play that either. I suppose your scenario *could* be true, and I don't like the RIAA much either, but I have a hard time believing that a) they went to that much trouble to "stick it to pirates" when it doesn't have a direct effect on their bottom line and b) that the fact that Apple captured a lot of market share by being the first on the ground with a popular product that forced you to use iTunes is just a happy coincidence for Jobs & Co.

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

Well, you and I would disagree, then, as to the lengths we believe the RIAA will go to 'stick it to the pirates.' These are the same guys suing grandmothers and little girls, using strong-arm/bully tactics to force settlements, and crying about how we're screwing the artists when they screwing them first with crummy royalty contracts. I don't think it's much of a stretch to imagine them saying, "you want our stuff, then you play by our rules." And yeah, I'll concede that it's not hard to imagine Jobs & Co didn't mind too much, as they were certainly selling iTunes/iPod as a package deal. I'm just saying I believe he'd do what he says if the RIAA would let up, never mind that his product is already secure in the market and he can only really benefit by opening it to other forms of media.

[mordainlove.livejournal.com]

My iPod plays mp3 files.... ::blinks:: ....as I am not well-versed in this exact debate, I'll stay away from it... but I did want to say that. All of my 4,446 songs are mp3-format.

[dikaiosunh.livejournal.com]

I stand corrected. My impression was that they only played the iTunes format.

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

I stand corrected too -- I thought they didn't, either. I thought you had to convert mp3s n' such into iTunes-format.

But, unlike me, Ms. Melissa owns one, so I'll take her word on it.

[mordainlove.livejournal.com]

Also, I don't use iTunes. ;) I make my playlists in winamp and put any/all music onto my iPod through ephpod.