Steve Jobs on DRM

I was browsing around the net when I came accross a post on TUAW which was talking about Steve Jobs on DRM. I went and read the entire article and it looks like Steve is for removing the DRM and selling open license music on the net. The big four music companies now need to realize that this is what consumers want. I do not want to buy a song on iTunes and only be able to play it on 5 computers, I also do not want to be locked into only using the iPod for the music I buy from the iTunes Music Store.

The rub comes from the music Apple sells on its online iTunes Store. Since Apple does not own or control any music itself, it must license the rights to distribute music from others, primarily the “big four” music companies: Universal, Sony BMG, Warner and EMI. These four companies control the distribution of over 70% of the world’s music. When Apple approached these companies to license their music to distribute legally over the Internet, they were extremely cautious and required Apple to protect their music from being illegally copied. The solution was to create a DRM system, which envelopes each song purchased from the iTunes store in special and secret software so that it cannot be played on unauthorized devices.

Now wouldn’t the world be great if you could just go to the iTunes Music Store, buy a song and have it work on ANY MP3 Player on the market now and in the future. With the way things are going with DRM each company has it’s own software and are keeping that hush hush because there are secret keys hidden in the code. If they share this with many companies or license it to them, that is a lot more people who have their hands on the code and increases the chances that it would leak onto the internet. If for instance say that Apple’s FairPlay DRM software were to be leaked on the web there would be cracks, DRM strippers, etc on the net within minutes. Apple would have to hide the keys in the code in a better way and update their store and ALL of the iTunes Players worldwide.

In 2006, under 2 billion DRM-protected songs were sold worldwide by online stores, while over 20 billion songs were sold completely DRM-free and unprotected on CDs by the music companies themselves. The music companies sell the vast majority of their music DRM-free, and show no signs of changing this behavior, since the overwhelming majority of their revenues depend on selling CDs which must play in CD players that support no DRM system.

If you take a look at those numbers you would think that ANYONE looking at them would realize that DRM protected music is just NOT working. What I do not understand is why they are requiring the music to be DRM protected in the first place. I know they do not want it to be pirated online but the more they try to stop people the more they do it. If you tell a kid not to do something, 8 out of 10 times they will do it in spite. I would rather run down to the store and buy the CD than buy a DRM protected song from an online store. Make things convenient for the consumers and you will thrive, lock them to a certain player or online store and you shall fail guranteed.

If you would like more information you can read the entire article.