iTunes moving towards DRM-free music
If you're an iTunes user, an iPod owner, or just a music lover, stop what you're doing right now and read this announcement. Yes, it's that important.
You read that correctly. As of May 2007, EMI's entire catalog (from ABBA to the Yardbirds) will be made available on iTunes DRM-free. What does that mean? It means you can burn it, copy it to all of your computers, put it on any device you want--there will be no technical restrictions to your use (obviously, there are still legal restrictions). Yes, you have to pay 30 cents more for the privilege. Yes, the astute among you probably saw it coming. Yes, it's about time. Yes, yes, they should have gone all the way and removed the DRM completely. Yes, yes, yes, blah, blah, blah.
The point is that this is what you call momentum. The pendulum is finally, finally starting to swing the other way. In ten years, students of computer science will look back on this era as the "Great DRM Experiment." They will look down their enlightened noses at us--equal parts appalled and amused. They will shake their head in awe when contemplating multi-billion dollar corporations suing 12-year old girls. They will laugh at the futility of encryption algorithms that are cracked within hours of their release. And, believe me, yesterday's announcement will mark what they consider the "beginning of the end."
We're almost there, ladies and gentlemen.
8 comments:
Any idea if they are planning to use any sort of digital fingerprinting with this? The tracks could still be completely unprotected, but somewhat traceable.
You're right on regarding momentum. Someone had to go first.
I'm a little irked that you have to pay 30% more for these tracks, though. This smells like a sneaky way to work in a rate increase if you ask me. Eventually, all labels will allow unprotected tracks and the protected stuff will be phased out. Can we honestly expect prices to return to $0.99 when that happens? I doubt it...
I have to agree with the inquirer to a large degree. Boy did I feel like I got the proverbial "OJ" prize when I read this DRM announcement. I was so excited to be given this "privilege". Upon further contemplation, that was very much the stupid sheep in me getting excited about being sold something I should have had all along. It makes me think of the iPhone. We feel like many of the things iPhone is trying to introduce are breakthroughs in technology when really, it's just one of many shady Mobile companies actually being forced to provide a services they should have provided years ago. Of course the difference is that DRM is taking away rights we already had, while new phone services are giving us technologies they've been withholding. So I guess while I'm excited about the things we'll be opened up to, I'm also a jaded sheep that realizes we should have had this stuff for years.
To be honest, they can fingerprint all they want, because I have no intent to infringe. I just want the technical restrictions lifted on using my music the way I want and on the devices I want.
michael -
Don't forget the quality increase. It makes the $0.30 increase a little less painful.
This is huge, just... huge. It makes me love Apple even more. They've got the big balls now and can really start swinging them around for some good (and profit, may I add.)
I've been swinging my balls around for profit for years. They're not such pioneers.
No, Ünlü, thank you mach.
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