Steve Jobs: Thoughts on Music

eric2006

eric2006

iMovie Professional
Steve Jobs, and his lawyers, have released a paper titled "Thoughts on Music".

Basically, it addresses the DRM issue. We can assume that Apple has released this paper in response to the numerous lawsuits, hacks, and dissent that have arisen recently.
In the first section, he explains what DRM is and why Apple has it. The "big four" music companies: Universal, Sony BMG, Warner and EMI, demanded a mechanism for which their music would be protected from piracy, and would not sell music through Apple if it wasn't. Steve explains that DRM uses "secrets" to stay secure, but smart people can find ways around the "secrets", so they must be updated constantly.
Next, he explores one solution: licensing music with Apple's DRM to other music companies. However, he explains that this will create less privacy for the DRM "secrets", and once the secrets are out, it is harder to create a fix when multiple companies have to be coordinated.
Finally, he states the only "real" solution: DRM free music. Obviously, Apple is held by contract to keep the music un-pirated, but Steve argues that DRM can never be completely secure. He states that music companies already sell music without DRM 90% of the time - on CD. He wraps it up by saying that Apple would love to have DRM-free music, if only the music companies would let them - and tells readers to fight the music companies, not Apple.

What do you think?
 
I think this is a PR stunt for the Norway situation. I think Apple, too, has an interest in the current, DRM ridden, situation. Clearly his argument, that the labels still publish music DRM-free on CDs, is quite flawed, since the Audio CD never _had_ DRM, it'd involve a completely new standard. Without a clear technical advantage over the old standard (which is hard, since the audio CD basically is "good enough"), it simply can't be reasonably done. A new format with DRM protection would simply _fail_. They've even tried: DVD Audio. Didn't go anywhere.

So while I agree with what has been put forward here by Steve Jobs (music should be sold DRM-free), I don't think that Steve Jobs and Apple would put their money where their mouth is at this time. Maybe we'll see some progress in the coming 10 years, but I highly doubt it for some reason. (I think that reason's called "reality check".)
 
At least Steve is expressing that he and Apple don't command what we hate about digital music. Microsoft, on the other hand, dish out DRM after DRM and don't even flinch.

...Zuneeee come to mind anybody?
 
Yeah, but I just fear that while Apple _says_ they'd like to be free of DRM, they just _won't_ be, because they're basically dependent on the music labels on this. I'm not sure this makes Apple any better than Microsoft in this case. ;)
 
I know there are issues pending regarding DRM overseas--but what about this statement's release coinciding with this week's earlier issues with iTunes on Vista? I know people were very, very angry about the DRM/lockdown situation in Vista, generally. Is this a feint to smack Vista around in the background but not attack Microsoft directly for issues relating to the iPod and iTunes? Or, is this another stab obliquely pointed at the film industry, which has been slow to put its movies on iTunes for fears of piracy (but look to have embraced WalMart)? Opinions?
 
I would agree that the biggest reason behind this would be the legal issues overseas. However, at the same time I think it's good that the flaws in DRM are being pointed out, and I think there is some merit to the CD comparison. If the music companies were serious about DRM, and CDs can't be protected, then stop making them. It sounds crazy, but that would be what is required.

The other big thing is that it points out that this really isn't an Apple v. Microsoft thing. The real issue is the record labels requiring DRM. Now, what would really open up the industry, although with risk, would be a "standard" for DRM (along the lines of an ISO standard) that would be owned/controlled by the RIAA. Just an idea.
 
I boycott iTMS. i didn't always. at first, i thought i was moving with the times, and being a good citizen along the way. then i got asked for my password for a song i bought. and on another.

i've now deleted all my DRM music, and replaced with 'illegal' downloads which work much better. i have access to all apsects of the ID3 tags, and i can back it up quite happily. i can put into a mix cd if i want.

If iTMS sold drm-free music, i'd use it to get music. i'd remove *** as well.

For all the music they;ve sold on iTMS so far, they could have sold scores more had it not been infected product. i'd have spent hundreds. for all their paranoia, the music industry has lost a lot of money, i think. it's another situation of the media industry punishing the law-abiders while not affecting the criminals in any way at all. it's the same reason i rip all my dvds, and return copy-protected dvd's: those un-skippable 'downloading movies is piracy' propaganda at the start.

i hate DRM with an absolute passion.
 
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