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RED WOLF
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Articles Posted: 32; Links Seeded: 18423
Member Since: 1/2006Last Seen: 11/28/2009
Member Since: 1/2006Last Seen: 11/28/2009
7 Votes
10 Comments
Apple to end music restrictions
News Type: Event — Seeded on Tue Jan 6, 2009 4:45 PM EST
Article Source: BBC Newsadvertisement
Apple Inc has agreed to start selling digital songs from its iTunes store without copy protection software.
At present, most music downloaded from Apple's iTunes store can only be played through an iTunes interface or iPod.
The new agreement with Sony BMG, Universal, and Warner Music will end digital rights management (DRM)software currently attached to iTunes music.
The changes were announced at the end of the keynote address, at the Macworld conference in San Francisco.
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 | iTunes is going to be DRM-Free, but not free of DRM. | JustinPM | Tue Jan 6 | 0 |
 | Apple Drops Anticopying Measures in iTunes | The New York Times | Wed Jan 7 | 1 |
| Apple changes its iTunes fees | Wall Street Journal | Tue Jan 6 | 0 |
 | Apple cuts copy protection and prices on iTunes | Associated Press | Tue Jan 6 | 50 |
- Public Discussion (10)
- Newsvine Technology
- Science And Technology
- The Infinite Loop
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{"commentId":4690377,"authorDomain":"inghar2004"}
Yeah, that's the one bone I have to pick with Jobs&Co, their damn licensing practices. I'm glad to see they're smartening up, but, leave it to Apple, they still found a way to make more money on it.
{"commentId":4690377,"threadId":"462545","contentId":"2280845","authorDomain":"inghar2004"}
- 1 vote
#1 - Tue Jan 6, 2009 4:56 PM EST{"commentId":4690596,"authorDomain":"douglasq"}
Jobs came out long ago in favor of no DRM. The record companies dictate the terms. Not Apple.
{"commentId":4690596,"threadId":"462545","contentId":"2280845","authorDomain":"douglasq"}
- 9 votes
{"commentId":4690653,"authorDomain":"redwolf"}
The record companies dictate the terms. Not Apple.
True. And now that more and more companies are pushing non-DRM, the music industry has no choice but to go along with Apple's demands to ditch it.
{"commentId":4690653,"threadId":"462545","contentId":"2280845","authorDomain":"redwolf"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":4691123,"authorDomain":"inghar2004"}
Oh, my bad. I was just anticipating from past experience:-)
{"commentId":4691123,"threadId":"462545","contentId":"2280845","authorDomain":"inghar2004"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":4691338,"authorDomain":"slincoln-wx"}
It was almost to the point where the DRM was making me want to start downloading illegally again. It felt good to pay for the music, only have to purchase one song at a time, and of course "do the right thing". Over time, though, it became such a hassle to deal with the restrictions that I almost considered not buying the songs anymore. This is the same issue that EA Games ran into with Spore. At a certain point you make it too difficult for the "good" people to use the product, then you dont make money.
{"commentId":4691338,"threadId":"462545","contentId":"2280845","authorDomain":"slincoln-wx"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":4691729,"authorDomain":"redwolf"}
Alas, your perfectly reasonable and correct logic doesn't seem to make much headway with the music industry who seem intent on committing a really slow suicide.
{"commentId":4691729,"threadId":"462545","contentId":"2280845","authorDomain":"redwolf"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":4692456,"authorDomain":"eriqalan"}
The real DRM story was that Amazon was able to push for DRM free music as they are the biggest seller of CD's, DVD's, etc. so the Industry backed down - then Apple was able to use that to negotiate out of DRM. Amazon had the leverage.
{"commentId":4692456,"threadId":"462545","contentId":"2280845","authorDomain":"eriqalan"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":4693685,"authorDomain":"brianford"}
The real DRM story was that Amazon was able to push for DRM free music as they are the biggest seller of CD's, DVD's, etc. so the Industry backed down - then Apple was able to use that to negotiate out of DRM. Amazon had the leverage.
Not quite accurate. Amazon was able to get DRM free music as *Apple* was a threat to the labels because *Apple* was the market leader in digital downloads and -- fearing that -- the labels gave Amazon a more appealing product than they would give Apple, in an effort to cut some of Apple's market lead. I'd be surprised if Amazon had to work much at all for what they got.
It didn't really work though. Apple still holds the vast majority of the market.
The only thing that worked, is Apple finally made a small concession on variable pricing, though the upshot is that more songs are now *cheaper* while a smaller number are more expensive.
But, they have the same deal as Amazon, and Amazon was just being used by the music labels.
{"commentId":4693685,"threadId":"462545","contentId":"2280845","authorDomain":"brianford"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":4693724,"authorDomain":"brianford"}
Over time, though, it became such a hassle to deal with the restrictions that I almost considered not buying the songs anymore.
I guess I don't get this. I know usage differs and that others will have different experiences, but I've been buying from iTunes for as long as it's been possible, have purchased over 700 songs, and haven't ever ran into any problems based on the restrictions. In fact, if I didn't *know* there were restrictions, I'd have no idea that the songs were restricted in any way.
{"commentId":4693724,"threadId":"462545","contentId":"2280845","authorDomain":"brianford"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":4693786,"authorDomain":"brianford"}
Also, as has been mentioned, Steve Jobs' open letter on DRM was a major factor in getting some of the restrictions loosened in some of the stores that people were actually spending money in.
Apple's iTunes Plus debuted several months before Amazon sealed their deal, and securing DRM free music from EMI was likely a lot of pressure for the other labels to work with Amazon to counter that.
So, I think it's more correct to credit Apple with getting the majors to start thinking about DRM and getting rid of it.
{"commentId":4693786,"threadId":"462545","contentId":"2280845","authorDomain":"brianford"}
- 4 votes
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