Looks like one of the major music labels is finally going to do what they should have done a long time ago… Drop the Digital Rights Management on their online music which just annoys paying customers and does nothing to stop people who are going to copy music without paying, (unprotected copies of music ripped from CD are available on peer to peer networks as soon as a CD comes out). EMI is taking the plunge with Steve Jobs present at the announcement. Apple published Steve Jobs’ open letter calling for the major labels to drop DRM just two months ago.
Watch for the other major labels to follow suit. With dive-bombing CD sales, what do they have to lose by trying to serve their customers instead of sue them? As LRC readers learned long ago “intellectual property” is incompatible with traditional tangible property rights. Given that the internet has lowered the cost of distributing music to near zero, makers of music will be finding other ways to make money on actually scarce goods and services… Live performances, merchandise, etc.
[Thanks John Gruber]
9:34 pm on April 1, 2007
