Finally, DRM seems to be losing

[kjk]

Originally Posted by CleverClothe

Read the whole interview, Jobs was not talking about removing DRM.

From his letter I posted earlier:

The third alternative is to abolish DRMs entirely. Imagine a world where every online store sells DRM-free music encoded in open licensable formats. In such a world, any player can play music purchased from any store, and any store can sell music which is playable on all players. This is clearly the best alternative for consumers, and Apple would embrace it in a heartbeat. If the big four music companies would license Apple their music without the requirement that it be protected with a DRM, we would switch to selling only DRM-free music on our iTunes store. Every iPod ever made will play this DRM-free music.

[b0rsuk]

Originally Posted by Nitrousoxide

Having DRM for stuff you're just renting makes perfect sense. If you're paying less for a time limited license, why shouldn't you expect it to automatically explode at the end of that time?

If you're trying to make digital goods like physical goods - then yes, it may make sense. But in such case you're doing extra effort to limit what is already free. It's harder to limit information than to simply copy it.

I think book DRM is simply at an earlier stage than music DRM. To me "DRM is going strong in ebooks", and similar, are hollow words, because I know of resources like Project Gutenberg. I think it's just a matter of time now.

[Kali Yuga]

Originally Posted by b0rsuk

I think book DRM is simply at an earlier stage than music DRM. To me "DRM is going strong in ebooks", and similar, are hollow words, because I know of resources like Project Gutenberg. I think it's just a matter of time now.

Public domain has nothing to do with DRM. In fact, is it not only perfectly legal but routine to publish a public domain book, charge a price for it, and slap some DRM on it. Sony, B&N, Amazon et al all sell PD books with DRM, even though the same materials are available for free and without DRM elsewhere.

In addition, while many great books are in public domain, and Google's scan project will make a huge number of PD books available (albeit poorly proofread / OCR'ed, at the moment), almost nothing published after 1923 is in public domain.

When the "Harry Potter" series is legally available in a non-DRM form, then I think you can say that "DRM for ebooks has lost."

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

When the "Harry Potter" series is legally available in a non-DRM form, then I think you can say that "DRM for ebooks has lost."

That won't happen anytime soon. Between the author hating ebooks, and publishers scared of DRMfree, too much going against it.

[CleverClothe]

Originally Posted by kjk

From his letter I posted earlier:

The third alternative is to abolish DRMs entirely. Imagine a world where every online store sells DRM-free music encoded in open licensable formats. In such a world, any player can play music purchased from any store, and any store can sell music which is playable on all players. This is clearly the best alternative for consumers, and Apple would embrace it in a heartbeat. If the big four music companies would license Apple their music without the requirement that it be protected with a DRM, we would switch to selling only DRM-free music on our iTunes store. Every iPod ever made will play this DRM-free music.

I do believe I said that I was refering to the interview. But thanks.

Besides, words are cheap, actions matter far more. In the interview Jobs also says that Apple is not completing agains Microsoft for the desktop market.