Demise of DRM in the Music Industry
Finally, the most painful adjustment period in the music industry/Internet relationship is over and we all win. Sony will sell DRM-free music, according to BusinessWeek:
In a move that would mark the end of a digital music era, Sony BMG Music Entertainment is finalizing plans to sell songs without the copyright protection software that has long restricted the use of music downloaded from the Internet, BusinessWeek.com has learned. Sony BMG, a joint venture of Sony (SNE) and Bertelsmann, will make at least part of its collection available without so-called digital rights management, or DRM, software some time in the first quarter, according to people familiar with the matter.
Warner Music, EMI, and Vivendi have announced similar DRM-free models.
I'm no fan of pirating but I don't want the headaches of DRM restrictions. I'm happy to pay for what I listen to but I want the option of listening on a CD, my laptop, an iPod, etc. without unnecessary hassle. I suspect most music consumers feel similarly, and I'm not alone (BusinessWeek):
"DRM tends to punish the innocent more than the guilty," says Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, a technology research company. "It was hurting folks who were trying to follow the rules more than the folks who were pirating the music."
Thanks to Sony for joining the DRM free club.
P.S. Can you have a word with your colleagues at the Motion Picture Association of America?
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