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Steve Jobs 'Thoughts on Music'
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Apple will sell DRM free music as soon as the others agree to do the same.Thus making it a level playing field.
Steve Jobs 'Thoughts on Music'
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This afternoon, Steve Jobs posted an article entitled "Thoughts on Music" on Apple.com.
In the article, he addresses recent calls for Apple and iTunes to "open" the digital rights management system on iTunes to allow other digital devices to play iTunes music and to allow other music store media to play on the iPod.
He reminds readers that the iPod can play unprotected content, and gives background on the reason for for digital rights management.
He then explores three different alternatives for the future:
1) Stay the course "with each manufacturer competing freely with their own “top to bottom” proprietary systems for selling, playing and protecting music. "
2) License FairPlay to other companies. "The most serious problem is that licensing a DRM involves disclosing some of its secrets to many people in many companies, and history tells us that inevitably these secrets will leak. .... Apple has concluded that if it licenses FairPlay to others, it can no longer guarantee to protect the music it licenses from the big four music companies"
3) Abolish DRMs entirely. "If the big four music companies would license Apple their music without the requirement that it be protected with a DRM, we would switch to selling only DRM-free music on our iTunes store. Every iPod ever made will play this DRM-free music."
Jobs argues that DRM doesn't work effectively and believes that Digital Rights Management should not be required by music companies.
"Convincing them to license their music to Apple and others DRM-free will create a truly interoperable music marketplace. Apple will embrace this wholeheartedly."
Apple has come under increasing pressure from some European consumer groups regarding FairPlay, perhaps prompting the article.
This afternoon, Steve Jobs posted an article entitled "Thoughts on Music" on Apple.com.
In the article, he addresses recent calls for Apple and iTunes to "open" the digital rights management system on iTunes to allow other digital devices to play iTunes music and to allow other music store media to play on the iPod.
He reminds readers that the iPod can play unprotected content, and gives background on the reason for for digital rights management.
He then explores three different alternatives for the future:
1) Stay the course "with each manufacturer competing freely with their own “top to bottom” proprietary systems for selling, playing and protecting music. "
2) License FairPlay to other companies. "The most serious problem is that licensing a DRM involves disclosing some of its secrets to many people in many companies, and history tells us that inevitably these secrets will leak. .... Apple has concluded that if it licenses FairPlay to others, it can no longer guarantee to protect the music it licenses from the big four music companies"
3) Abolish DRMs entirely. "If the big four music companies would license Apple their music without the requirement that it be protected with a DRM, we would switch to selling only DRM-free music on our iTunes store. Every iPod ever made will play this DRM-free music."
Jobs argues that DRM doesn't work effectively and believes that Digital Rights Management should not be required by music companies.
"Convincing them to license their music to Apple and others DRM-free will create a truly interoperable music marketplace. Apple will embrace this wholeheartedly."
Apple has come under increasing pressure from some European consumer groups regarding FairPlay, perhaps prompting the article.
Steve really points out the hypocrisy of the music industry, but without actually using that word.
Go Steve!
Go Steve!
Very concise reply to the DRM issue
This makes for a very interesting read. It'll be interesting to see how European countries respond to this criticism.
This afternoon, Steve Jobs posted an article entitled "Thoughts on Music" on Apple.com.
In the article, he addresses recent calls for Apple and iTunes to "open" the digital rights management system on iTunes to allow other digital devices to play iTunes music and to allow other music store media to play on the iPod.
This makes for a very interesting read. It'll be interesting to see how European countries respond to this criticism.
There is the DRM on DVDs to prevent you from making a copy of a movie but then again what's to stop people from bypassing that? Obviously I can be done. So where are the studios then? They still use the same copy protection granted it's been breached. Why should Apple or any other company have to update their software in said amount of time from when a breach occurs?
Steve is right and not because he's the one who said it.
Steve is right and not because he's the one who said it.
I'd have to agree with you on this one. There is no reason that Apple should open iTunes.
Other players can sync with the DRM-less music at the moment.
Just finished the article. Itunes music uses DRM if you purchase it in the music store. I don't believe other players can sync with itunes.
Ok, no DRM for music, how about movies?
Would Steve support the same for movies (Disney)? I find it odd he only speaks to music, and not electronic media in general.
Would Steve support the same for movies (Disney)? I find it odd he only speaks to music, and not electronic media in general.
DRM-free, downloadable music... as if that is ever gonna happen.
It's happened: emusic.
What's puzzling is why Apple insists on adding DRM to music from these independent lables when they don't require it for emusic.
Some other players were able to "sync" with iTunes... but only with non DRM music. I haven't tested this lately, so don't know if this has been dropped
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93548
Remember iTunes existed before the iPod.
arn
I thought that was a very good article. I'm pleased to read that Apple would embrace non DRM music store, if it could - and recongises that this would be a benefit to the consumer, over the hideous situation we face today - that is - vendor lock-in.
SJ is correct when he says that vendor lock in represents only a small percentage of music. But face it - downloading music is more convienent IMO. As music stores become more popular, Apple and otherswill face increased pressure to license out their DRM - read: which ever music store is the most popular at the time.
People say - if you don't like it buy a CD. HOWEVER, they are missing a HUGE point. You cannot go into HMV and buy music on a track by track basis like you can with iTunes - or any other store for that matter. That is a major pull of online music stores.
I found it interesting to read regarding the 'time limit' that apple have to fix DRM breaches.
97% of music is DRM-free - its only digital music that is DRMed - which represents a very small amount. When you put it like that - DRM sounds like a very strange beast, indeed. You won't beat piracy when you have a situation like this.
As for 'you should only use iTMS if you have an iPod'. Get real. I'm glad you like you consumer rights being limited.
SJ is correct when he says that vendor lock in represents only a small percentage of music. But face it - downloading music is more convienent IMO. As music stores become more popular, Apple and otherswill face increased pressure to license out their DRM - read: which ever music store is the most popular at the time.
People say - if you don't like it buy a CD. HOWEVER, they are missing a HUGE point. You cannot go into HMV and buy music on a track by track basis like you can with iTunes - or any other store for that matter. That is a major pull of online music stores.
I found it interesting to read regarding the 'time limit' that apple have to fix DRM breaches.
97% of music is DRM-free - its only digital music that is DRMed - which represents a very small amount. When you put it like that - DRM sounds like a very strange beast, indeed. You won't beat piracy when you have a situation like this.
As for 'you should only use iTMS if you have an iPod'. Get real. I'm glad you like you consumer rights being limited.
iPod+iTunes. Period.
The Zune is a joke. If people want to use a Zune with iTunes they can suck it and buy an iPod.
Apple spent their time and energy (and money) to develop a system that actually works and now because of some Wigs in Europe that don't know s*** from s*** they're gonna screw Europe out of the only system proven to work for people that they are *mostly* happy with.
Steve's response to this- he doesn't just tell them how it is, but how it is going to be. Maybe they'll figure it out now.
The Zune is a joke. If people want to use a Zune with iTunes they can suck it and buy an iPod.
Apple spent their time and energy (and money) to develop a system that actually works and now because of some Wigs in Europe that don't know s*** from s*** they're gonna screw Europe out of the only system proven to work for people that they are *mostly* happy with.
Steve's response to this- he doesn't just tell them how it is, but how it is going to be. Maybe they'll figure it out now.
That is an informative and great letter. I'm glad I read it, though I have no personal problem with DRM, since I have no reason to steal music. However, I want a new product release, not colored shuffles, not shipping Airports, not even shipping 
tvs, a new revision to a Computer. OR better yet, mind the gap, the missing mid range Mac.
tvs, a new revision to a Computer. OR better yet, mind the gap, the missing mid range Mac.Apple: It's not us, it's them! Not our choice! See how plays for sure was cracke...oh wait, nevermind. See how indendent lables we sell DRMed music of refuse to sell that same music without a DRM... oh wait, nevermind.
It's not that apple is wrong in their decisions or model, just that the argument here is based on fear and moving the blame, rather than a significant portion of the truth: apple is making a killing in this buisness. Not that we should expect them to do anything else. But I just don't buy that the difficulties of liscencing fairplay are a bigger decision maker than the increased competition to the ipod that would result in.
By the way, it's not the 22 DRMed songs that keep people from buying other players, it's (in addition to crappy designs) the whole library organized in itunes that does it.
It's not that apple is wrong in their decisions or model, just that the argument here is based on fear and moving the blame, rather than a significant portion of the truth: apple is making a killing in this buisness. Not that we should expect them to do anything else. But I just don't buy that the difficulties of liscencing fairplay are a bigger decision maker than the increased competition to the ipod that would result in.
By the way, it's not the 22 DRMed songs that keep people from buying other players, it's (in addition to crappy designs) the whole library organized in itunes that does it.