This is a bit of a diversion from the normal focus of MLS, but I think this could be a watershed in the history of DRM (Digital Rights Management). I’m a student of technology law, the owner of three iPods, and an Apple-watcher. So when Steve Jobs posts an open letter to the world talking about why the iTunes Store sells DRM-protected files, I can’t avoid reading it. Jobs doesn’t like DRM, and he’d rather sell music on the iTunes Store without it.
Fascinating! Apple has been getting hammered in Europe because of its FairPlay DRM. It seems Jobs is tired of being the DRM whipping boy, and has cleverly pushed the spotlight squarely on the content owners, who have always been the players behind DRM. I wonder how the music industry moguls will deal with this. I was at the State of the Net conference in Washington, D.C. last week as part of my Tech LawForum duties. Based on what I witnessed during the breakout session on music licensing, they won’t react favorably.
Still, the times are a changin’. More than a few industry pundits have predicted that 2007 will be the year music DRM dies. Maybe this Jobs note will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Maybe.
