Comments on: Learning from the French iTunes legislation

Sun Labs Engineering Director Tom Jacobs says there's a way to avoid working under government directive.

[Thrudheim]

Overall, I like the approach

but he exaggerates the limitations of Fairplay DRM a bit. He
says, "if you really love, say, Serge Gainsbourg and buy one of
his tracks off of iTunes, you can listen to it only on your iPod,
iTunes or an iTunes-burned CD." Only those things, eh?

The iTunes-burned CD is of course playable on any CD player,
so that can hardly be called limited. It can be re-imported with
no DRM into one's format of choice (use a lossless one to avoid
further degradation of sound quality) and uploaded it to any
device or music player software of choice. Granted, burning to
CD is a hassle, but many people do it anyway just for backups or
use in a car.

Playing it "only on iTunes" of course means it can be played on
any five computers. Again, not much of a limitation and wrong
if you've re-imported from CD.

Overall, though, a person-based approach to DRM sounds much
better then a device-based approach, and it would be nice to see
a standard DRM format that is not controlled by a company (like
Apple or Microsoft). I just think he makes Fairplay sound more
draconian than it really is in order to make the case for this
alternative.

[Thomas, David]

Dear Tom ...

This is your quote:
"... because, if you really love, say, Serge Gainsbourg and buy
one of his tracks off of iTunes, you can listen to it only on your
iPod, iTunes or an iTunes-burned CD. This means that if you get
a phone that plays music, you can't play your iTunes track
there."

If you can burn a CD, it means you can import, and play, your
music ANYWHERE, ANYHOW, YOU WANT!

There simply isn't any argument.

[skeptik]

Yeah, it could work...

But you're a clutz for suggesting this is a workable solution.
This solution depends on two things:
1.That you will continue to be able to burn CDs.
2.That the CDs will continue to allow re-ripping.
Both things could be ended by iTunes tomorrow, and while there would be consumer backlash, there is also business/financial incentive for them to do so.

Your solution is a hack and like all hacks, guarantees nothing in the big picture.

[jbelkin]

Not the Entire Truth ...

First, thanks to Apple - only online music DRM can be LEGALLY converted to a DRM-FREE format - not movies, or books. So, compatibility with BILLIONS of playback devices is built in (including trasnferring to WMA devices in two steps!).

The legislation was actually launched NOT by consumers but by VENDI UNIVERSAL MUSIC. Strange, don't you think? What was their motovation?

To cripple iTunes because Apple got too powerful?

Do they want us to go back to CD's because they can hide the sales easier?

Because the DRM was not controled by a French company?

You really need to learn ALL the details behind the situation before presuming from a few thousand miles away.

iTunes/iPod works fine as it stands now. You as a conusmer can use iTunes for FREE without ever buying an ipod. You cna even buy tracks and listen on your computer - no ipod necessary.

Or conversely, you can buy an ipod and NEVER have to buy a track from itunes. You can buy mp3's (DRM-free) from up to 25 online stores or you can buy CD's and convert yourself.

Unlike many other computer choices, Apple gives you latitude to choose from many choices. They do offer a convenience with DRM ... a DRM the record companies DEMANDED and now steathly, want to wreck?

The question YOU should be asking is what was the real motivation of the record labels?

[skeptik]

but why

Why would I, the consumer, care about the labels or Apple? I care about protecting and ensuring future use for the the content I purchase.
All your excuses and conspiracy theory don't do a thing for me in that regard.

[MadKiwi]

Stop Peddling Misconceptions

When you "buy" music on line, or on CD or however you get you do not OWN the music, you have purchased a licence to use it. That licence may be very broad or may be restrictive, it may be partly prescribed by local law, irrespective, you do not OWN the music. The sooner that people recognise this the sooner we can actually have a proper debate on the whole digital rights issue. As lone as people think they OWN the music they buy, the debate will be partly based on a false assumption.

[skeptik]

Renting the right to listen?

Then I should not be penalized if the copy I have is lost and I need another. It should be free because I don't own the copy, I own the right to listen, independent of the copy I have in my possession.

For me, this rental idea is why I don't pay for any music downloads. I don't rent anything. I own or I forgo. People who care longterm about their music realize letting a corporation control and manage your content is a very risky proposition.

[FredJones34]

Thank goodness for France

They put the freedom back in freedom french fries.

At least someone is going to stand up for the consumer.

Why should I have to:
1 ? dload
2 ? burn
3 - reimport
4 ? convert
5 ? export

The song I bought if I want to use it on another device?

Even with my poor math skills, that's about 3 steps too many for me. What if I have 20 songs, 200, 2,000?

You can argue approx. 383 million different ways about DRM but one thing is certain ? to date, no DRM discussion ever looks out for the consumer and his/her rights.

It's nice to see a government is thinking for the little guys every now and then.

Vive the Freedom (aka. France).