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  • Music DRM dead?



    DRM now dead, as Amazon snags Sony

    It's the end of an era


    Amazon.com has now secured the right to sell DRM-free music from all four major labels, snagging Sony BMG.

    On Monday, Sony BMG announced it was lifting DRM from its digital music, but only through a gift card service called Platinum MusicPass, which was available through bricks and mortar retail channels. Amazon wouldn't have any such shenanigans, and cut the strings Sony had attached.

    The move gives Amazon a clear competitive advantage over its rivals Rhapsody and Apple's iTunes store. Rhapsody's songs are tied to Windows DRM, while the only portable player that supports Apple's DRM-protected songs is Apple's own iPod.

    (Strictly speaking, there's a tedious workaround which allows you to burn the song to CD, then re-import it as an MP3 that sounds even worse than the original - but nobody bothers).

    So farewell then, music DRM. You were a stupid idea and we won't miss you.

    The end came quicker than anyone had expected. Just eight weeks ago 7Digital predicted - to hums, buts and maybes - that DRM would disappear from digital music by this summer. Now everyone is embracing a DRM-free music future.

    Well, almost everyone. Curiously, Boing Boing has yet to announce the death of DRM music. Google returns 42,000 results for a search on "DRM" at the blog, but the end of the DRM era has passed without comment.[/b]
    Dr. Mordrid
    ----------------------------
    An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

    I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

  • #2
    Good good goody.
    Chief Lemon Buyer no more Linux sucks but not as much
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    • #3
      They will watermark instead.

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      • #4
        I still buy CD's and rip my own music. I will continue to buy CD's until I no longer can. I would consider buying digital music if they offered CD style inserts to print out as well.
        Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice.

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        • #5
          It'll go away eventually... and hopefully quickly.
          Everybody except some of the music industry gets it that DRM and portability restrictions limits average users from buying devices and therefore music. Demand for cheap portable music will prevail.

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          • #6
            I think Hi-Fi is pretty much dead. PS3 could have saved the SACD. Do you guys think we will ever be buying albums on blu ray?
            ______________________________
            Nothing is impossible, some things are just unlikely.

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