News - EMI dumping DRM?

[matgb]

EMI dumps DRM on iTunes. Is the glacier moving?

Only on iTunes, but DRM free is good regardless.

ETA: Not just on iTunes. EMI Press Release:

From today, EMI's retailers will be offered downloads of tracks and albums in the DRM-free audio format of their choice in a variety of bit rates up to CD quality. EMI is releasing the premium downloads in response to consumer demand for high fidelity digital music for use on home music systems, mobile phones and digital music players. EMI's new DRM-free products will enable full interoperability of digital music across all devices and platforms.

Comments

[0ct0pus.livejournal.com]

Slowly. When something like eMusic (http://www.emusic.com/about/index.html) is the norm, that's when the digital floodgates will open (to mix a metaphor.)

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

Hurrah!

Wow, and it was EMI too? THAT was unexpected!

[dainul.livejournal.com]

What gets me about this is the blatant bullshit PR-speech that Apple was giving at the same conference. But certaily, a reduction of DRM is a good thing.

[mooism.livejournal.com]

Will Apple let independent music companies’ music be sold free of DRM through iTunes? They’ve been refusing so far.

99p per track is overpriced in comparison to CDs.

Still, it’s a major move forwards.

[paulatpingu.livejournal.com]

Well it's obviously a move in the right direction, though how much difference it will make is yet to be seen.

Way I see, people who care about DRM aren't using iTunes and wont until they make all of their music DRM-free (and maybe not even then). People who are using iTunes probably aren't bothered, unless they've directly ran up against it when copying music. So I'm not sure how people are celebrating because they're directly effected.

But regardless, information should be as free as possible, so yes, a good move.