[Dixielandjazz] Another Voice on Music Security

[Janie McCue Lynch]

Steve said: 

 

Officially, it's illegal to sell or otherwise give ownership of a PC loaded 

With Windows (C) secondhand. And, for that matter, Mac OS too... 

 

The point is distribution. Where does one draw the line between 

Distribution and sharing? Is the iPod priced higher because of the loaded 

Content? That, I'd think, would be less than kosher. 

 

 

 

Related News ARticle Quoting  STEVE JOBS TODAY: 

 

Steve Jobs posted an open message to record studios, asking them to abolish
security software that prevents music bought online from playing on
different types of MP3 players. 

 

Apple would "wholeheartedly" embrace eliminating Digital Rights Management
(DRM) technology that prevents songs downloaded from its online iTunes music
store from being played on iPod rivals, Jobs said. 

 

Jobs urged the world's major record studios to stop mandating Apple,
Microsoft, Sony and other MP3 makers bind music sold at their online stores
with their respective players to guard against rampant duplication. 

 

"DRMs haven't worked, and may never work, to halt music piracy," Jobs wrote
in a letter on the Apple website. 

 

Fewer than two billion DRM-protected songs were sold online worldwide last
year while more than 20 billion songs were sold on compact disks, which can
be freely copied onto computers or digital music players, according to Jobs.


 

By the end of 2006, iTunes had sold an average of 22 songs per iPod, the
most popular version of which has the capacity to hold 1,000 songs. 

 

"Since 97 percent of the music on the average iPod was not purchased from
the iTunes store, iPod users are clearly not locked into the iTunes store to
acquire their music," Jobs wrote. 

"Perhaps those unhappy with the current situation should redirect their
energies towards persuading the music companies to sell their music DRM-free
" 

 

Jobs contended that Europe is home to much of the "concern" expressed
regarding the exclusive union between iTunes music and iPod players. 

 

He then noted of the four companies that own more than 70 percent of the
copyrighted music are European. Universal is owned by France-based Vivendi;
EMI is British-owned, and Bertelsmann of Germany owns half of Sony BMG. 

 

"For Europeans, two and a half of the big four music companies are located
right in their backyard," Jobs wrote. 

 

"Convincing them to license their music to Apple and others DRM-free will
create a truly interoperable music marketplace." 

 

France's parliament passed a law in June of last year that cracks down on
online piracy -- and pressures Apple to open its popular iTunes Music Store
to companies producing rival digital music players to its iPods. 

 

But, in a concession to months of fierce lobbying by Apple, the law also
contains a loophole that will allow the Cupertino, California, company to
demand the right to maintain software blocks against competitors. 

 

Other European countries are considering legislation guaranteeing
interoperability. 

Jobs' open letter, headlined "Thoughts on Music," appeared intended to
redirect the political and public ire at the major music studios. 

 

Since Apple does not own or control any music itself, it licenses the rights
to distribute music from others, primarily from Universal, Sony BMG, Warner
and EMI, Jobs wrote. 

 

A key provision insisted on by the music companies is that if Apple's DRM
system, called FairPlay, is compromised Apple has to quickly repair the
breach or song catalogues are yanked from iTunes, according to Jobs. 

 

The best option is to "abolish DRMs entirely," an alternative Apple would 
embrace in a heartbeat," Jobs wrote. 

 

Jane Lynch

 

janie39 at socal.rr.com