Apple CEO Requests Music Industry Cease Using DRM, page 1

Steve Jobs the CEO of Apple Computers has requested through an open letter on his website to the Music Industry to cease the use of DRM (Digital Rights Management) software.

www.latimes.com
Jobs pitches dumping anti-piracy software
By Michelle Quinn, Times Staff Writer
2:30 PM PST, February 6, 2007

Steve Jobs, the chief executive of Apple, wrote an open letter today asking the music industry to consider giving up anti-piracy software on the digital music it sells.

The letter, which can be seen at www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughtsonmusic, walks through the problems of anti-piracy software, also known as digital rights management, that is supposed to prevent consumers from copying digital music.

Jobs lists the problems with the software, which is often hacked and needs updating and prevents consumers from listening to their music wherever they like. He also points out that consumers are already buying compact discs and copying them digitally without facing controls to stop them.

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Although I'm not a big Music downloader, listener or purchaser this has got to be great news for the consumers if this is accepted. Not only will things be interoperable, it will and should make it less costly to have to constantly upgrade and undo hacks each time they are released. If Microsoft follows suit and requests this and its accepted , the much talked about newest software release VISTA may have quite a few more customers. Many people are genuinely unimpressed with all of the restrictions being installed that will make Vista very displeasing to people who appreciate music and video. The DRM restrictions actually degrade performance in many cases.

Related News Links:
www.theinquirer.net
www.techweb.com
www.theregister.co.uk

[edit on 6-2-2007 by UM_Gazz]