We owe them for them acting completely in their own corporate, profit-motivated self-interest?
Yes, I think that's the idea.
Or are you somehow implying that A) if Amazon hadn't set their price lower than Apple's, Apple would have dropped DRM-free tracks to 99 cents themselves B) Apple isn't a corporation and C) Apple isn't profit motivated?
If that's the case, you probably have some explaining to do to Apple's shareholders...
Glad to hear this. But I believe Apple was the hold-out on these, not the labels. For example, Nettwerk songs have been DRM free on emusic, amiestreet and other places for some time. Am I expected to believe that Nettwerk has been demanding DRM on Apple but plain old mp3 elsewhere???
You're right on track, and it's not just Nettwerk (though they're one of the more out-spoken DRM critics out there). Most of the indie labels quoted have offered DRM free downloads for some time...