Apple + EMI = no DRM!

http://www.macrumors.com/2007/04/02/emi-apple-press-conference-coverage/

If you have been buying music online, the term DRM (Digital Rights Management) should not sound new to you. DRM is a policy to protect purchased item from being shared with other music devices, computers, without proper permission. (And you do not have right to give this kind of permission in most cases)

Today Apple and EMI comes together and announcing the removal of DRM limitation to their online music. This is a "big news" to the online music industry.

So what's the matter? It's like, if you still remember in class, after I downloaded a purchased music from iTunes(Utada Hikaru for T1B; Fall Out Boy for T1A; Gnarls Barkley for H1A), I can only play the file with proper username/password. If I give the file to others it is not possible to play without my authorization. This is DRM. Not to mention that iTunes music can only be played on iPod, not any other mp3 player.

Now the companies are trying to remove DRM from the purchased music, sharing the music among music devices/users become easy.

I strongly feel that the Internet concept is evolving into another new era, just back 1 year ago it was almost impossible for me to imagine companies would consider taking away DRM.

Interesting reading: http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughtsonmusic/