Steve Jobs casts his vote in the DRM debate

In what's bound to be without a doubt, the opinion that's heard around the blogoshpere and the technosphere, Apple's website today posted what appears to be an OpEd piece from Steve Jobs on the ever present debate over DRM (Digital Rights Management).

In said posting, Steve Jobs, who's company, like it or not controls the bulk of online music downloads via the iTunes music store stated that from his point of view, there are only three ways to currently solve the DRM issue. One, is to leave things as is, which quite frankly does nothing to resolve the issue, two - open up the DRM software that Apple uses, (thereby possibly encouraging other companies to do the same ) to promote interoperability or - and here comes the best part - sell their music DRM free. This is something everybody and their mama has been lobbying for, for the past couple of years. Why? In his words, which by the way, echo what everyone else has been saying..

Why would the big four music companies agree to let Apple and others distribute their music without using DRM systems to protect it? The simplest answer is because DRMs haven’t worked, and may never work, to halt music piracy.

As he said, over 90% of the world's music is at the moment sold DRM free. Also evidence has shown that so far, DRM has likely hurt digital music sales much more than it's helped.

All of this comes on the heels of the trouble Apple is dealing with in Europe regarding opening up it's FairPlay DRM system to other companies (gotta love those pesky Europeans) . It's only likely to get worse as more and more countries join the band wagon. Apple is essentially now throwing the ball in the court of the big music companies, saying in part..

Convincing them to license their music to Apple and others DRM-free will create a truly interoperable music marketplace. Apple will embrace this wholeheartedly.

Hopefully this is a beginning of a turn in the right direction.

iPhone, USue

It's a beautiful new year, and as is prone to happen, what's old is new again. Technology as usual keeps moving at a dizzying speed and the law firms of Cease, Desist and Howe are rubbing their palms together waiting for who it is they can dig their claws into once again. Gotta love technology. I can only imagine how many General Counsels are thanking their gods for copyright infringement lawsuits. If nothing else, it's keeping them busy, without doubt funding house expansions and jacuzzi bathrooms and for us the observers, it makes for fun reading.


In a "I so didn't see that coming, wink wink" move, Cisco Systems today is suing Apple Computer Inc. over the use of the name iPhone. Yesterday, at MacWorld, the quintessential face and CEO of Apple launched the iPhone, the company's new entry into the phone/handheld/mp3 player space. What makes this interesting is that Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems, the copyright holder to the name "iPhone" a few weeks ago released their own product of the same name. While both products are reasonably different, there is obviously a conflict here. Considering that Apple knew about it and are actually in negotiations (albeit stalled it appears) to use the name, going ahead to use the name anyway is a bold move if I ever saw one. Cisco it appears is not amused.

Me thinks this is going to be a fun year.