DRM on Downloaded music needs to be Trashed
Last week Steve Jobs of Apple inc. (formally Apple Computer) put out an open letter to consumers, and music companies about the need to dump DRM (Digital Right Management).
He made some valid arguments about the reason to dump DRM. Grant you, they were probably self serving, but Steve is no idiot. There are plenty people out there that feels the same way about DRM, but they be damed to give Steve Jobs any credit for coming out and saying it, considering the fact of who he is, and that he holds 70% of the music download business. There are many folks, including the music label big 4 and other competing music devices that would love to see Apple knocked off it’s throne, just so they could increase their profits and prestiege. John Gapper of Business Day wrote this interesting article, that seems to sum up a lot of what most people feel about DRM. The only people I hear complaining about having DRM are the music companies, and people that offer a solution for inoperability between devices, all which are self serving. Interesting that we have not heard from any big name musicians on the DRM topic, but I sure they are being kept in line and told to follow the script that their bosses (big music) are advocating.
Much like the Berlin wall, the cracks are already showing in DRM, and it will be just a matter of time before digital downloads become DRM free and the wall comes down.