Cliff’s Notes on the DRM Debate
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Written By Kate Zimmermann | February 9, 2007 | Share This
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Following Steve Jobs’ anti-DRM diatribe on Tuesday, I think literally every blogger on the Internet has put in his or her two cents on the matter (this one included). For the sake of lazy bloggers everywhere who don’t feel like reading all 1 billion posts, I put together a little cheat sheet essay, from which you may all quote liberally:
The DRM DEBATE in 300 Words or Less
Once upon a time, Norway decided that DRM was a crime against music-loving humanity. They insisted that Apple un-encrypt iTunes, or face the wrath of “legal consequences”. Apple took a few days to mull over their attack, then spun the issue on its head with Steve Jobs’ message to the music labels. “it’s not us, its them,” Jobs protested, in his heroic appeal to rid the world of DRM. “Perhaps those unhappy with the current situation should redirect their energies towards persuading the music companies to sell their music DRM-free,” he wrote. The music companies, in response, called Jobs’ proposal “completely without logic or merit“, suggesting that Apple instead license its FairPlay system to competitors. “We have no doubt that a technology company as sophisticated and smart as Apple could work with the music community to make that happen”, stated the RIAA. “Did you hear nothing he just said?”, responded the Economist and remaining population of the world. While the RIAA scrambled for a comeback, “Big 4″ music label EMI hinted that maybe, just maybe, they’d open a portion of their catalog DRM-free (in exchange for hefty advance payments, of course). Many cheered (none of them from Norway), wrote eulogies for the imminent death of DRM, and had the great satisfaction of saying, “I told you so“.
The end. (or, should we say, the Beginning?)
The extended version of this essay is currently being written by This Guy
Topics: Apple |