WebProNews

Apple has been the object of much ire concerning the encoding of its “FairPlay” digital rights management into tracks sold on the iTunes music store. Proponents against DRM have often labeled iTunes as Public Enemy #1 in the crusade against the practice, but a statement from the company today may change some opinions.

It has certainly changed mine. I won’t deny it; I’ve pretty much thrown Apple under the bus in my crusade against this moronic practice known as digital rights management. I’ve burned iTunes in effigy and encouraged readers of WebProNews to pursue other outlets (such as eMusic) that offer tracks in unprotected mp3 formats.

It would appear, however, that Apple is tired of playing the fall guy for the major record labels.

In a statement today, Apple CEO Steve Jobs outlined the history of the iTunes store, and the deals that the company had to make with the four major record labels in securing the rights to distribute the music. An integral component of the agreement was the proviso that Apple would implement a DRM system in order to discourage illegal copying of the tracks.

Jobs, however, sees the practice of DRM as flawed. In his statement today, he reflects on alternatives to the system, with the best being the out and out discontinuation of the practice entirely:

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.

The solution seems so simple, yet the record companies have refused to acknowledge that DRM is a flawed system. Jobs goes on to elaborate on why the big four labels should embrace a DRM-free digital marketplace:

Why would the big four music companies agree to let Apple and others distribute their music without using DRM systems to protect it? The simplest answer is because DRMs haven’t worked, and may never work, to halt music piracy. Though the big four music companies require that all their music sold online be protected with DRMs, these same music companies continue to sell billions of CDs a year which contain completely unprotected music.

That’s right! No DRM system was ever developed for the CD, so all the music distributed on CDs can be easily uploaded to the Internet, then (illegally) downloaded and played on any computer or player.

I really don’t know what else the record companies will have to hear to get it through their thick skulls that DRM does absolutely nothing to discourage piracy. If the CEO of the company that wrote the book on digital music distribution is against the practice of DRM, then perhaps the labels should at least give this whole thing a second thought.

Of course, that might just be wishful thinking on my part.

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