Comments on: DRM is not your friend: Online music stores restrict, not enable

By: Supporting the Electronic Frontier Foundation - Homeland Stupidity

Supporting the Electronic Frontier Foundation - Homeland Stupidity — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 18:45:39 +0000

[...] Frontier Foundation is at the forefront of the battle. Whether it’s the national ID card, digital rights management, online privacy or domestic spying, EFF is doing the hard work of defending against those who would [...]

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 04 Sep 2005 00:50:38 +0000

I have no problem with electronic distribution, but I can’t see myself buying downloaded music if things stay the way they are. My “system” is to subscribe to Real Rhapsody (the 3-month-for-$27 version) and buy whatever CDs I want on my iPod from the Amazon “CDNOW Preferred Buyer’s Club” for $8-$10 apiece. Not to sound like a salesman or anything, but the “club” is really just buy one CD in a year and that’s your obligation fulfilled, not the “get 12 CDs free now and buy five more in two year” kind of thing with BMG and such. Amazon’s supersaver shipping usually means that when I buy three CDs, I get free shipping, so for the same or lower price than iTunes, I have an unrestricted CD. I’ve been with Real for more than a year and have purchased a few dozen CDs… although it’s a bit irksome to pay for a subscription and still not own it, I’m really satisfied with Real Rhapsody – I mean, 1.2m+ songs at 160kbps for that price!?!?!

Just my 2c…

By: iJosh

iJosh — Sat, 03 Sep 2005 16:22:08 +0000

Maybe my point wasn’t so clear. My point was, any DRM encumbered digital music service that allows the files to be burnt as an unecumbered, redbook standard audio CD hands you the same rights as if you bought the album in it’s physical form. The issues of sound quality and the art/linernotes as an artwork in itself aside.

By: Michael Hampton

Michael Hampton — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 13:56:55 +0000

Josh, I think you’ve made my point for me.

By: iJosh

iJosh — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 05:02:12 +0000

The EFF Article is also wrong on one point about iTunes, there is no restrictions on backing up the file. Heck you can hand out the protected music file to all your friends, burn the file (outside of iTunes, say using the Finder/Disk Utility) to CD/DVD for archival purposes, and/or copy it to as many locations on your hard drive/s as you like. The limitation is… only 5 computers with your login information will be authorized to PLAY the songs. Yes the tried and true (unencumberd) CD will stand as abeacon in the DRM’ed future. That still doesn’t change what the RIAA thinks of your rights with said CD vs. the encumbered music files. So if you can burn the songs to a flat audio CD, you have the same rights if you bought it on the shiney silver disc in the first place. iTunes lets me do that 7 times, more if I juggle playlists.

By: Mark J

Mark J — Thu, 01 Sep 2005 23:29:44 +0000

iTunes allows you to burn the music to CDDA (regular audio CD), which can then be imported in any open format you like. That’s what I do. iTunes may be more lenient than the other services in that regard… I don’t know. It’s an extra step, but it saves you a trip to the store, and is easier on your wallet than a CD.