Apple Allows iTunes Music To Be Copied
By Anna Johnson on January 7th, 2009Apple has announced it will remove the digital rights management (DRM) technologies from the music it sells through its iTunes store. Such DRM technologies prevent people from copying music to other media, such as other computers or digital media players.
Apple, which has long favored removing DRM from music sold through iTunes, finally received the go-ahead from three of the four major music labels — Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. These music companies had held out in favor of keeping DRM, even as the fourth major label, EMI, agreed to remove it.
In return for allowing Apple to sell music without DRM restrictions, Apple agreed to allow the labels to set their own prices for their music.
To date, the labels have had to comply with Apple’s standard pricing of 99 cents per song. Beginning in April, it’s expected that prices will now vary from as low as 69 cents per song to as high as $1.29 for the biggest hits and newest releases.
Both Apple and the music labels hope these moves will increase digital downloads whilst deterring piracy on file-sharing networks.
Many believe that the presence of DRM technologies tended to alienate customers and prompted them to obtain their music via piracy. It’s hoped that, with the restrictions removed, more people will be willing to buy songs from iTunes.
Source: Brad Stone, “Want to Copy iTunes Music? Go Ahead, Apple Says” The New York Times, January 6, 2008
