NEW YORK - As if its options woes weren't trouble enough, Apple Computer Inc. said Friday it is facing several federal lawsuits, including one alleging the company created an illegal monopoly by tying iTunes music and video sales to its market-leading iPod portable players.Cute phrasing - "aren't easily playable on iPods." A more accurate phrase would have been "not legally playable on iPods". To play another company's copy-protected songs on an iPod, you either need to a) defeat Apple's DRM software, or b) defeat the other companies'. Either act is illegal under American law, and until the courts rule otherwise, that means for home use too.
The case, filed July 21, is over Apple's use of a copy-protection system that generally prevents iTunes music and video from playing on rival players. Likewise, songs purchased elsewhere aren't easily playable on iPods.
So the only reasonable tactic is to buy the CD (possibly DRMed as well!) or buy your tunes from eMusic.
1 comment:
Heh. Funny that. The US Government is after a company for using a proprietary distribution format while at the same time trying to forment laws to allow media companies to create a proprietary DRM distribution format.
I don't have a problem with Apple's approach. Since I don't like it personally, I don't have to use it, i can go to a competitor that doesn't have these restrictions.
What burns me is the DRM issue itself and how I'm restricted by law what device I can play my legally purchased music on. When the law prevents my choice, that's when I get angry.
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