[FSUG-Bangalore] Apple to launches 8 million songs DRM-free

[Praveen A]

2009/1/8 Shashi <connect2shashi at gmail.com>:
> I just watched this vedio:
> http://technorati.com/videos/youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DfFKk1wMY_n8
> It says Apple aims to make all songs on its iTunes library DRM-Free
> AAC encoded (not FAAC, though)!

At this week's Macworld Expo, Apple announced that by April, music
from the iTunes Store will no longer be shackled by digital rights
management (DRM). Finally, DRM is good and fully dead for digital
music -- gone from CDs, gone from downloads, and largely dead for
streaming.

Apple's announcement comes nearly a year after Amazon.com's DRM-free
MP3 deals went live, demonstrating that the record labels were holding
the DRM card until they could wring business concessions from Apple
(in the form of variable pricing). This just underscores that DRM is
not really about stopping piracy, but rather about leverage over
authorized distributors.

In fact, an inventory of Apple's remaining DRM armory makes it vividly
clear that DRM (backed by the DMCA) is almost always about eliminating
legitimate competition, hobbling interoperability, and creating de
facto technology monopolies:

    * Apple uses DRM to lock iPhones to AT&T and Apple's iTunes App Store;
    * Apple uses DRM to prevent recent iPods from syncing with
software other than iTunes (Apple claims it violates the DMCA to
reverse engineer the hashing mechanism);
    * Apple claims that it uses DRM to prevent OS X from loading on
generic Intel machines;
    * Apple's new Macbooks feature DRM-laden video ports that only
output certain content to "approved" displays;.
    * Apple requires iPod accessory vendors to use a licensed
"authentication chip" in order to make accessories to access certain
features on newer iPods and iPhones;
    * The iTunes Store will still lock down movies and TV programs
with FairPlay DRM;
    * Audiobook files purchased through the iTunes Store will still be
crippled by Audible's DRM restrictions.

The majority of these DRM efforts do not have even an arguable
relation to "piracy." And even where things like movies and audiobooks
are concerned, DRM is not only futile, but will likely be
counter-productive, making the "legitimate" alternative less
attractive than the Darknet options.

This week's announcement is another step in the meltdown of DRM for
music. But it is also a stark reminder that Apple remains at the
forefront of employing DRM to shove competitors to the fringes and
wrest control out of the hands of users.

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/01/apple-shows-us-drms-true-colors

- Praveen
-- 
പ്രവീണ്‍ അരിമ്പ്രത്തൊടിയില്‍
<GPLv2> I know my rights; I want my phone call!
<DRM> What use is a phone call, if you are unable to speak?
(as seen on /.)
Join The DRM Elimination Crew Now!
http://fci.wikia.com/wiki/Anti-DRM-Campaign