The weekend saw a number of sparsely-attended protests outside Apple retail stores across the US where a consumer group called Defective By Design (DBD) launched a wave of ‘flash mob’ protests outside eight Apple retail stores across the weekend. Protests took place between 10am and noon. Protestors dressed in hazardous-material-protection suits and stood outside the shops carrying placards and handing out leaflets.

From the various photos and videos now online, it looks like DBD had trouble recruiting “flash mob” participants resulting in something more like “flash ten-people-randomly-milling-about” at various Apple Retail Stores.

A quick check of iTunes Music Store this morning shows that the DRM mandated by the music labels is still being used for songs sold via Apple’s iTunes Music Store.

See some video from the Chicago store here. Some photos are here.
Like we said last week, if you don’t like DRM, dress up in your yellow suits and hats and protest outside the headquarters of the “Big Four” music labels: Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and EMI Group. They’re the ones responsible for DRM and for treating their customers like criminals, not Apple. While DBD were obviously shooting for maximum publicity by going after Apple, that still does not excuse their misguided aim.

Advertisements:
• Introducing the super-fast, blogging, podcasting, do-everything-out-of-the-box MacBook.  Starting at just $1099.
• Get the new iMac with Intel Core Duo for as low as $31 A MONTH with Free shipping!
• Get the MacBook Pro with Intel Core Duo for as low as $47 A MONTH with Free Shipping!
• Apple’s new Mac mini. Intel Core, up to 4 times faster. Starting at just $599. Free shipping.
• iPod. 15,000 songs. 25,000 photos. 150 hours of video. The new iPod. 30GB and 60GB models start at just $299. Free shipping.
• Connect iPod to your television set with the iPod AV Cable. Just $19.
• iPod Radio Remote. Listen to FM radio on your iPod and control everything with a convenient wired remote. Just $49.

Related article:
Group plans ‘Flash Mob’ DRM protest at Apple Retail Stores – June 08, 2006