Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Do you think iTunes will ever be completely DRM free?
- Thread starter MacPro23
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
swingerofbirch
macrumors 68040
It seems like Apple has no motive to, and there's very little pressure on Apple to do so, plus I don't think the movie studios would go for it.
It seems like the direction, except for books and applications, is to stream media, and streaming services already can work on a variety of devices (except for Apple's streaming services).
So, while I would bet the landscape will change, I don't think DRM will go away for currently existing media, except perhaps booksor at the least, Apple may be pressured into making iBooks for other devices, either to get the service to take off, or to satisfy a pressure I feel should be put on Apple for interoperability by school systems. As for myself, I use Kindle books on my Mac, so I don't care what Apple does. But I think school systems should.
It seems like the direction, except for books and applications, is to stream media, and streaming services already can work on a variety of devices (except for Apple's streaming services).
So, while I would bet the landscape will change, I don't think DRM will go away for currently existing media, except perhaps booksor at the least, Apple may be pressured into making iBooks for other devices, either to get the service to take off, or to satisfy a pressure I feel should be put on Apple for interoperability by school systems. As for myself, I use Kindle books on my Mac, so I don't care what Apple does. But I think school systems should.
I'm going to be optimistic and say yes, because if the music industry can get a clue there's still hope for the movie and book publishing worlds.
I tend to believe that Apple genuinely don't think DRM is all that useful, but have little choice in the matter. In time though I think we'll just have people in positions of power (studio bosses etc) that get it, and recognise that treating your paying customers as criminals whilst the real pirates carry on regardless, and completely unencumbered, is not really a very good business model.
It might still take a while though.
I tend to believe that Apple genuinely don't think DRM is all that useful, but have little choice in the matter. In time though I think we'll just have people in positions of power (studio bosses etc) that get it, and recognise that treating your paying customers as criminals whilst the real pirates carry on regardless, and completely unencumbered, is not really a very good business model.
It might still take a while though.