Bigmouth Strikes Again: Carrie Marshall's blog

Apple’s DRM-free downloads contain user information. So what?

There’s a minor kerfuffle happening in blogland over iTunes Plus, the new bit of iTunes that offers DRM-free downloads. Apparently the metadata contains user information including your email address, which of course means that if you share files via P2P or turn an album into a torrent then the copyright cops will come a-knocking.

Which sounds fair enough to me.

Hating DRM is (in most cases) not the same as wanting to be able to share your purchases with the entire planet; it’s about having the right to use your legally purchased content on the hardware and/or software of your choice. DRM-free downloads enable you to do just that, and personally I don’t care what metadata is stuffed in there because I won’t be sharing it.

Am I missing something?

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Comments

0 responses to “Apple’s DRM-free downloads contain user information. So what?”

  1. Armin

    but, but, but, but,….

    The music industry is evil.

    I think.

    I’ve been told.

  2. Squander Two

    > Hating DRM is (in most cases) not the same as wanting to be able to share your purchases with the entire planet

    Hmm. I would replace the word “most” with “sensible” there. A lot of people really do seem to believe that records should be free now. I wouldn’t want to stick my neck out and guess which school of thought are in the majority.

  3. Stephen

    Yeah, seems as if a nuanced analysis is beyond many today. “Apple LIED!! They said we could screw the record companies!!” Um, really?

  4. Stephen

    I just upgraded my library: only cost £5.20.

    Nice they offered to let me keep the old songs. No point though.

  5. mupwangle

    I tried and it fell over. Now I can’t play either.

  6. Gary

    A lot of people really do seem to believe that records should be free now.

    Yeah, and I think that’s muddied the DRM waters as a result. The record industry doesn’t want its stuff given away for free, which is fair enough, but the protections it’s been applying have been bad for people who have no intention of torrenting their legally-bought CDs. Which isn’t fair enough.

    And of course DRM-free downloads won’t make any difference to torrents. The illegal rips turn up long before anything actually goes on sale to the public.