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Dec 09, 08 - 04:45 pm Comment from: Cubert

The Justice Department needs to get involved in this blatant collusion by the record companies.

Dec 09, 08 - 05:02 pm Comment from: toby

It's unbelievable the way the record industry is treating iTunes, and frankly, it seems a little illegal too.

Dec 09, 08 - 05:18 pm Comment from: Romeodawg

This has MacExpo written all over it.

Come on Steve, just start selling them with no DRM and let The Labels just try to win a court case.

Of seems to me that any contractual arrangement they have is legal and binding until such time as the terms are renegotiated.

The contracts other on-line music sellers have with the labels us immaterial.

Apple us in avveryvstrong position, however, in these negotiations. I would think that it's probably the labels dragging out the process in hopes of getting the best desk they can. Meanwhile they're enjoying their last vestige of control. Now Apple holds all the cards.

Yikes! all typos created by my iPhone!

It should read, "getting the best deal", among other surprised.

Dec 09, 08 - 06:40 pm Comment from: MrScrith

@Ian... actually I prefer reading it as "getting the best desk"... still makes sense.

Dec 09, 08 - 08:49 pm Comment from: ken1w

Apple is in no big hurry to get rid of the music DRM. It's not doing them any harm to have the DRM in place (in terms of iPod sales or iTunes Store sales) and the DRM provides an iPod-to-iTunes-Store connection and advantage over the competition.

Yes, Apple may have a small percentage increase in iTunes Store music sales without the DRM, but who cares; the iTunes Store is not one of Apple's profit center. It's essentially a value-added service for iPod customers. I've purchased some music downloads from Amazon recently, and I'm sure Apple 100% is fine with that, as long as I'm playing those songs on iPods. Apple wants Amazon to succeed at selling digital music, because Amazon sells a ton of iPods for Apple.

Suddenly going DRM-free on all songs during the holiday shopping season is poor timing. Without any effort, Apple's digital music player competition can suddenly claim "now 100% compatible with music purchased from the iTunes Store." Just in time for the holidays. Apple would still dominate with iPod sales, but why mess with the status quo during the most critical iPod sales quarter. It won't improve iPod sales.

A grand PR announcement about Apple "winning the war against DRM and the evil music empire" would be ideal for MacWorld in January. Apple will get the credit for removing DRM from digital music forever, while taking advantage of being "forced" to use DRM all along. That is called absolutely brilliant management of the media and public perception.

Do you think the labels are making a bundle of money with the other download companies? Not!

Dec 10, 08 - 10:03 am Comment from: twilightmoon

We're forgetting, DRM goes off music? no problem! It remains in place for video and rented content, so the "lock-in" remains!

Apple can't lose here, they get rid of DRM for music and are "heroes" and get to keep it on video because they are "forced to".

Meanwhile people keep snatching up iPods left and right, and the competition trailing distantly on the horizon is left out of being "fully compatible" with iTunes content even as music becomes deliciously DRM-free.

This is a PR-in, a marketing win, a continued wall-around-iTunes store win, and a sell a ton of iPods (while leaving other also-ran music players out in the cold) win too.

Apple holds all the cards, is way out in front, has its foot on the throat of the dying music cartel, and the heart and wallets of consumers who are eagerly snatching up iPods and iPhones while paying Apple for the privilege of filling those devices up with many different forms of content.

After Apple finishes crushing the music industry meanwhile looking like a saint, they can go off and start smacking around the movie and TV industry who I'm sure aren't immune from this global economic meltdown...