Apple Imbedding Your Name and Email in iTunes Songs You Buy

It turns out that Apple is encoding your name and e-mail address into the iTunes songs you download, even the DRM (Digital Rights Management) free songs.

From ARS Technica

Apple embeds your account information in all songs sold on the store, not just DRM-free songs. ...the hidden data is more significant since it could theoretically be used to trace shared tunes back to the original owner. It must also be kept in mind that this kind of information could be spoofed.

I guess I can understand why they would do this on the DRM free songs - to act as a deterrent so you don’t go ‘sharing’ the song or tossing it up on your favorite peer2peer site – after all, if you do, your also spreading around your name and email address.

But why do it to songs that are protected by DRM. Do they really need to do it to songs that are so restricted? Or is there some other reason? Very interesting.

Urgh.

I may quit using my Itunes account. I don't usually share files around, but there's always the possibilty of my downloading something for my daughter or granddaughter (which I just did) and burning a disk for them (which I just did) of material I don't have an interest in and won't play/use.

But... I am not in control of who they share the files with.