Eliminate DRM?
I found this post via Boing Boing. Essentially, it suggests that music labels should have Apple remove DRM from the songs it sells. As nice as this would be for people who like free music -- that is, almost everyone except the record companies -- it's just not going to happen. The idea with iTunes DRM is to make it inconvenient to copy music.Here's one quote:
The reality is that DRM does next to nothing to reduce piracy. Virtually every song ever recorded is already available on peer-to-peer networks.
The second statement is relatively true, but it doesn't support the first. Not everyone knows how to or wants to use things like Limewire, but a lot of people know about iTunes. If you could copy a song grabbed from iTunes onto an unlimited number of computers, a lot more people would do it.
While the author's heart is in the right place, I don't think it makes sense to position conjecture as fact. We don't really know what would happen if DRM didn't exist. His conclusions are only one possible scenario.
Eliminate DRM?
Posted Oct 12, 2005 — 4 comments below
Posted Oct 12, 2005 — 4 comments below
Mr eel — Oct 12, 05 433
Are you suggesting the only people who oppose DRM are those interested in free music? I personally don't think that's the case at all.
I purchase an enormous amount of music, but have yet to buy a DRM encumbered recording yet. Simply, the DRM is inconvenient more than anything else. If I buy a CD I can rip it and do pretty much whatever I like (outside of copyright infringement). If I buy some music from the iTunes store, I am immediately limited in what I can do with it.
Best example is; can't put those iTunes tracks on anything other than an iPod. Which totally sucks.
"We don't really know what would happen if DRM didn't exist. His conclusions are only one possible scenario."
Well that's not actually true. Firstly many millions of CDs have been sold without DRM and labels have been able to make good profits.
Secondly, there are some great examples of labels selling non-DRM encumbered music and doing very well at it. www.bleep.com sell music from a heap of labels. Their policy is no DRM. I know that they're doing very well.
Scott Stevenson — Oct 13, 05 434
Nope.
Simply, the DRM is inconvenient more than anything else.
Yes, clearly.
Firstly many millions of CDs have been sold without DRM and labels have been able to make good profits.
Sure, but things are changing over time. I don't necessarily like the idea of DRM, but I think the iTunes version of it is pretty fair overall -- a reasonable compromise.
It's easy to say "I don't want to be restricted," but that doesn't get us anywhere near a compromise with the existing record industry. Maybe the current industry will disappear and we'll start from scratch with a new model. For now, though, this is the one we have.
Secondly, there are some great examples of labels selling non-DRM encumbered music and doing very well at it. www.bleep.com sell music from a heap of labels. Their policy is no DRM. I know that they're doing very well.
This is encouraging, but it's all very vague information, so I can't use it to reach any conclusions.
Mr eel — Oct 13, 05 435
As for compromise with the major labels... well I'm inclined to say stuff em, but I agree with you. I can't see how we can get the label to play without DRM in the mix.
As for the sale of non-DRMed music, Bleep is just one example.
www.bleep.com
www.beatport.com
www.yoshop.com
www.playittonight.com
www.kompakt-mp3.net
These are web-shops selling music from established labels. Now, I don't have access to their sales figures, but obviously they're making money.
Perhaps we should be asking; can you sell non-DRMed music and make the same sort of profits?
Greg — Oct 23, 05 451
http://www.marriedgeeks.com/gman