Quote:
Originally Posted by DawnFalcon
As their clear embracing of DRM with the iPad shows, it wasn't Apple's idea to cut DRM from iTunes, EMI forced them into it. Said that for a long time.
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I understand your obvious stance about Apple, but I've seen no proof Apple didn't drive cutting DRM from music on their own. I'm interested to read your reasoning.
No one asked, but here is mine:
Apple cares about selling more iPods/iPhones/iPads. Whether content has DRM or not doesn't change that. An iPod still plays music if it has DRM or not. An iPhone plays non-DRMed video, music, and can read non-DRMed books as well.
The industries (music, film, publishing) care very much about DRM.
When Apple first started the iTunes Store, it was to drive sales of the iPod. They had no clout, and no power over the music industry. They accepted DRM readily as a requirement, because they didn't have a choice. Once the iTunes Store gained popularity, Apple suddenly had clout, and power, and could dictate terms.One of those terms was removing DRM. Why did the music industry allow it?
1) Apple had power they didn't have before. 2) The music industry wanted something Apple didn't want-variable pricing. They traded-Apple got DRM-free music, the industry got variable pricing. Which tells me, at least, that it was Apple driving the removal of DRM, from music.
That is how I see things occurring, based on the evidence I've seen. If you have proof of events happening otherwise, I am interested in seeing it.
So yes, yes, but what about MOVIES? what about BOOKS? Huh? HUH??? They are EMBRACING DRM!!
I know its difficult to believe, but there are different industries. Apple has no leverage over publishers (yet), and has no leverage over film/TV studios (yet). So, they are back to where they are with movies and books as they were with music at the beginning.
Do they CARE about DRM on this content? I think what they care about, is selling more iPods/iPhones/iPads. I think the film and book publishers care very much about DRM still, and won't let Apple remove DRM. So Apple can either accept what the film and book publishers terms are (for now), or not offer anything at all.
Is that a different interpretation of events than anyone else has? I mean, not colored by an obvious distaste for anything with an Apple logo? Has any other major consumer hardware company managed to make DRM free deals with film/TV/publishing? Microsoft? Asus? Acer? Amazon?
I just think there is a huge difference between accusing a company of "embracing DRM", instead of just seeing that they do what they have to to play by the rules of someone else (in this case, the publishers)