Wow - this is a big announcement, below. Another nail in the coffin of DRM.
I have been saying this all along - Steve Jobs does not care about his itunes DRM. Finally, this is out in the open. Well done, Steve - the ball is in EMI's, SonyBMG's, WMG's and UMG's court. Can they read his lips?
Much of the concern over DRM systems has arisen in European countries. Perhaps those unhappy with the current situation should redirect their energies towards persuading the music companies to sell their music DRM-free. For Europeans, two and a half of the big four music companies are located right in their backyard. The largest, Universal, is 100% owned by Vivendi, a French company. EMI is a British company, and Sony BMG is 50% owned by Bertelsmann, a German company. Convincing them to license their music to Apple and others DRM-free will create a truly interoperable music marketplace. Apple will embrace this wholeheartedly.</p>
Good idea, let's pressure record companies to finally let Apple sell MP3s. Maybe we should start with the company that topped the 2006 album sales. Who was that again? Right, Walt Disney Records. And who is Disney's biggest shareholder?
Truth is, Apple copuld have sold MP3s from the very beginning - with our without Disney catalogue. Many indies sell their catalogue without DRM, but Apple has always denied them this option.
Posted by: Janko | February 09, 2007 at 08:00 PM