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The end of DRM?
So, much to everyone’s surprise, Apple and EMI have agreed that they will make “unlocked” versions of music downloads available on iTunes from May, with Steve Jobs predicting many other companies will follow suit.
Clearly they’ve reasoned that locking people’s files in the way they have been to date has not really given them a friendly image or helped in the fight against piracy. Everyone’s been telling them this for ages anyway, but the music industry has been historically very slow to keep up with the demands of its customers – usually viewing them as people to be penalised rather than serviced (as it were).
So today’s announcement is quite a bold and welcome move as far as I’m concerned. And yes, we’ll admittedly pay more for this privilege, but we’ll also get an additional benefit in that the quality of the recording will be higher as well, so I think it’s great news.
Now if iTunes allowed non-AAC media players to benefit too then life gets even easier for us e-music purchasers. Okay, I suspect we’ll see pigs flying first, but after today I think I’ll keep watching the skies just in case.
Posted on April 2, 2007 | Filed Under Pop Music, The World we Live In
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