How can music be more like e-books? Well, if the rumors are true, Apple is in the process of negotiating to patch one of the biggest differences between the iTunes music store and the way most vendors treat e-books (not to mention the iPhone/iPad app store): Bloomberg cites anonymous sources who claim Apple is in talks with the Big Four music labels to allow unlimited re-downloading of purchased music.
In my tech support job, I’ve had to deal with a number of people who re-synced their iPods with a different computer after a hard-drive crash, thinking it would copy their music back onto the hard drive, and lost all their music instead. They were often upset to learn that Apple would not let them re-download the music they had bought and paid for.
If this goes through, this could also give iOS device owners a greater degree of freedom in stocking their devices with music on the go—at least, music that was purchased from the iTunes store. They could re-download it from anywhere, like an app or e-book. And it could also rescue those people I mentioned who accidentally deleted their music collections.
And Apple is also reportedly looking at setting its MobileMe cloud sync service free, ending the $99 per year subscription fee.
Here’s hoping Apple is successful in its negotiations.
Found via Ars Technica, CNet.)
Anyone who buys anything from a music or ebook publisher without immediately converting it into a DRM-free open source format is asking for trouble. That should be the first and most elementary lesson for everyone. The tools are there — use them, people!
Jon you are 100% correct. I would never allow a DRM’d file on any device of mine including my PC – they are an infection. I remove it immediately and a couple of my less techie friends send me their files for removal on a regular basis.