Epitaph on DRM
I’ve been a strong proponent of getting rid of DRM for quite some time. Here’s something I wrote back in 2006 (Before Steve’s infamous letter):
This is somewhat ironic, as it was the major labels that forced Apple to adopt DRM in the first place. Since then Apple has effectively owned the Digital Download space, despite many competitors, all of which have failed to gain anything like iTunes’ traction in the market. While the success of Apple’s music service has been a great boon for digital downloads, the Labels have been less than enthusiastic about their somewhat stubborn partner.
Despite attempts by label bosses to get Apple to open up its DRM to competitors the company has held fast, feeling it needs to protect its valuable iPod sales. Similar attempts to get them to agree to variable pricing have also been met with stiff refusals. This leaves the record companies in something of a quandary. The beast that they created has now come back to bite them. Had it not insisted on DRM in the first place Apple would not now hold all the cards. The ubiquity of the iPod has guaranteed that any competing but incompatible music service will almost certainly fail to ignite the market the way the labels want. And while Microsoft has demonstrated that it has no qualms in doing the record industry’s bidding, the zune looks set for spectacular failure.
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The argument that it prevents piracy is complete nonsense, because any tracks available for download through a protected format are already available on most file sharing sites anyway. All DRM has served to do is restrict the rights of every day consumers and erode the concept of ownership.
If the music industry does allow unprotected mp3 (or other format) downloads on a large scale it will be a huge win for consumers. And ironically it will be Apple’s refusal to open up its fairplay system that leads to it.
[from Are Days Numbered for DRM Encrypted Music?]
I still believe that it was Apple’s refusal to open up fairplay that eventually convinced the Labels that DRM Free was their only choice. Which, is very ironic considering the time it took them to allow Apple to use sell DRM Free tracks. But still, this effectively marks the death of DRM on music. What started with Napster has now come full circle.
Right, now we’ve got music sorted… on to video!
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