Steve Jobs Anti-DRM?
“Why would the big four music companies [ever] agree to let Apple and others distribute their music without using DRM systems to protect it? The simplest answer is because DRMs haven’t worked, and may never work, to halt music piracy. … Much of the concern over DRM systems has arisen in European countries. Perhaps those unhappy with the current situation should redirect their energies towards persuading the music companies to sell their music DRM-free. … Convincing them to license their music to Apple and others DRM-free will create a truly inter-operable music marketplace. Apple will embrace this wholeheartedly.”
He has a point. My preference to this day has always been for DRM free music. MP3 or AAC is fine with me as long as I can do what I want and play it where I want. It’s this exact reason that I still purchase CDs most of the time. I’m happy to pay for the material since it theoretically means the bands I like actually get paid (but not always…).
DRM is a strangle hold tactic to protect old school business.
There was a reason that the Apple iTunes DRM was broken so easily in the beginning so many times. Apple put enough work into the DRM scheme to make it obey the letter of the contract agreements (but perhaps not necessarily the spirit).
It’s also no coincidence that Windows requires an extremely convoluted serial number/registration scheme to get the OS installed whereas OS X requires none. The spirit of Apple, perhaps more through omission than through action, has always appeared to be rather anti-DRM.