In a word: Tired!

The cirkus concerning Apple, iTunes, DRM and the music industry is in full swing, and I'm lamenting the imminent demise of the record labels. Because they will go under if they don't do something, and soon.

Recently there was a conference in New York for the music industry, where they apparently spent a lot of time lashing out at Apples' CEO Steve Jobs for his "anti-DRM" sympathies. According to them, he is not sincere in his demands:

At the opening of the conference, some of the panel members lashed out at Jobs. Members said Jobs' call three weeks ago for DRM-free music was "insincere" and a "red herring".

Well be that as it may, I still agree with Steve. DRM will not solve anything. And opening up FairPlay to others is not an option. Microsofts' PlaysForSure is going the way of the Dodo, since it is extremly difficult to maintain a system comprising so many different companies.

And now the EU is looking in to trying to force Apple into opening iTunes purchased music to other players than their own iPod. Is this a good thing? Well, no, not if the music industry continues to push for DRM. And if they order Apple to open up, they should go after Sony and Microsoft as well, and all the other as well. Noone should be aloud proprietary technology if that's the case. Ie the Zune should be opened up, downloads in WMA and ATRAC 3 shouldn't be aloud, since they only play on certain players, and not all.

I personaly don't see the problem with iTunes. Sure it only works on iPods without converting the music, but you know what. There are other stores on the net! Why can't non-iPodders use them in stead? This is nothing like the Windows/Explorer monopoly. There you have practicaly no choice in the main stream. Anyway, I digress. Forcing Apple to open iTunes isn't going to help anyone, least of all the other on-line music stores such as Napster.

DRM then? Well, as Jobs has pointed out, the situation as it is can't go on. But the record companies are hell bent on sticking to the traditional theories. The need a new angle if they want to survive. A perfect example is that music and movies usually cost about the same when you download it as when you buy it on discs… Anyone else see the problem here?

Well, those are just some initial thoughts on this iTunes/DRM issue. Is this pagan in any way, I hear you ask! Well, yes. As pagans we need to see to that the world doesn't go too much wrong, especialy not when it comes to something as important as music. Everywhere they try to crack down on "free" listening, in the US they are trying to stop internet radio aswell! Shudder at the thought, no Pagan Radio!

Well, bless for now!

/|\ Taran MacDuir