After making perfectly clear that he is upset that Apple gets much press coverage and that David Mitchell and Robert Webb are appearing in the UK versions of Apple’s “Get a Mac” ad campaign, BBC News’ columnist Bill Thompson writes, “Jobs also said that Apple would stop using DRM in an instant if they could. I don’t believe him.”
Thompson writes, “Whether it’s music, films, text or software, a DRM’d file will limit your ability to play, copy, transfer or take extracts from the material. Fairplay [sic] is applied to any song downloaded from the iTunes Music Store and built into every iPod ever shipped.”
MacDailyNews Take: FairPlay is applied to any song downloaded from the iTunes Music Store and built into every iPod ever shipped as dictated by the music labels.
Thompson continues, “Apple has refused to license it to any other service or hardware manufacturer and as a result songs bought from Apple can only be played on PCs and Macs running iTunes, and iPods. (Let’s forget about the Apple/Motorola phone, shall we?).”
MacDailyNews Take: Let’s forget about the Motorola iTunes phones because they totally obliterate Thompson’s rant. Three months ago, Cingular announced that they had sold more than one million iTunes-capable phones. Over one million FairPlay-licensed devices sold, but let’s just forget about that fact, okay?
Thompson continues, “It’s a closed market, one that has attracted the attention of regulators around the world who fear that it could also be an example of unfair market manipulation.”
MacDailyNews Take: Regulators who don’t seem to understand how both the iPod and iTunes Store work. Apple’s iPod does not require iTunes Store use and Apple’s iTunes Store does not require iPod use. It’s not a “closed market.”
Thompson continues, “In his post Jobs said that Apple only implemented DRM because the record companies made them do it, and that they were unwilling to license Fairplay because it would make it easier for skilled crackers to break the protection.”
“This ignores the fact that some of the music on the iTunes store is also available without FairPlay or indeed DRM of any sort from other, less restrictive, services like eMusic,” Thompson writes. “It also ignores the reality that Microsoft’s widely licensed system has been cracked the same number of times as Fairplay, so the evidence would seem to indicate that Jobs fears are not justified.”
MacDailyNews Take: Does Thompson report that Apple’s contracts with the music labels allow for DRM-free music sales? No. Does Thompson understand that Apple’s FairPlay DRM works differently than Microsoft’s DRM and therefore cannot be compared in terms of potential DRM compromises if widely licensed to other companies? No.
Thompson continues, “If Apple switched off Fairplay then they would probably sell a lot more songs, on which they make very little money, and a lot fewer iPods, on which they make a lot.”
MacDailyNews Take: If Apple switched off FairPlay, it would also be switched off on iPods. Since each iPod sold on average contains only 20 or so iTunes Store-purchased tracks, obviously the iTunes Store is not driving iPod’s success. iPod dominates the market, so why would a tiny minority of the market that owns a handful of also-ran digital music players cause Apple to sell a lot more songs via their iTunes Store? Thompson’s statement is illogical. If Apple switched off FairPlay then they might actually sell a few less songs, on which they make very little money, as iPod owners begin to sample other services – if other services also switch off their Microsoft DRM. iPod sales would be unaffected because people buy iPods for many other reasons than iTunes Store compatibility (user interface, ability to play tracks ripped from CDs, vehicle integration, robust accessory market, etc.)
Thompson continues, “But Jobs can see which way the wind is blowing, and he can see that the record companies are finally tiring of their painful, expensive and ultimately unsatisfactory relationship with DRM… Jobs has to position Apple for this brave new world, and he knows that his charisma is such that if he rushes to the head of queue and claims to be leading the charge then some, at least, will believe him. Sadly he’s likely to be crushed under foot by those who really understand the music business and didn’t sell their souls to the record companies back in the days when they believed in DRM.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: How is Jobs likely to be crushed under foot when he doesn’t want DRM, has never wanted DRM, wants to sell DRM-free music and players, and who has proven that he’s the one who really understands the music business better than anybody? Thompson makes no sense.
Related articles:
BBC integrity questioned, accused of promoting Microsoft and Windows Vista – February 09, 2007
EMI may sell entire music catalog DRM-free – February 09, 2007
Norway responds to Apple CEO Jobs’ call for DRM-free music – February 09, 2007
Recording Industry Association of America wants their DRM, calls for Apple to license FairPlay – February 08, 2007
Warner’s Middlebronfman: Jobs’ DRM-free music call ‘without logic and merit, we’ll not abandon DRM’ – February 08, 2007
Dvorak: Apple CEO Steve Jobs is dead right about DRM – February 07, 2007
Apple’s Jobs jolts music industry; Zune exec calls Jobs’ call for DRM-free music ‘irresponsible’ – February 07, 2007
Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ posts rare open letter: ‘Thoughts on Music’ – calls for DRM-free music – February 06, 2007
Cingular Exec says over one million Apple iTunes-capable phones sold, comments on iPhone, more – November 02, 2006
So Steve Jobs has sold his soul to the record companies? Wha? Who is this guy?
He’s a twit!
Ignore the idiot.
Face it, this jerkoff writes for the BBC.
Enough said.
I speak as someone who pays the licence fee (aka tax) for this broadcaster.
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He’s not a complete idiot – he does use Macs and as far as I can tell owns a few different ones.
The “Beeb” never ceases to amaze with its inanity. Another example of government monopoly run amok.
The Beeb strikes again.
Let’s see… Didn’t the BBC just zune themselves big time by deciding on Microsoft-only vldeo streaming? This clown doesn’t have a leg to stand on.
-jcr
The Beeb is the British equivalent of CBS News. Their “news stories” are for sale to the highest bidder regardless of whether or not there is actually any truth to them or not…
“Jobs also said that Apple would stop using DRM in an instant if they could. I don’t believe him.”
Typical BBC, if the facts don’t measure up to your opinion, simply make things up.
Repeat the Mantra – BBC Technology is owned by Siemens, a Windows-biased company and as such, any tech related news coming from be BBC cannot be trusted free of that bias.
BBC once again proving they lay in bed with Bill Gates on one side, and Steve Ballmer on the other.
MDN said: “Does Thompson understand that Apple’s FairPlay DRM works differently than Microsoft’s DRM and therefore cannot be compared in terms of potential DRM compromises if widely licensed to other companies? No.”
So does this mean that FairPlay is more vulnerable, perhaps in a sense worse, than Microsoft’s DRM? It “works differently,” differently in terms of being easier to crack seems the only way to cash that out.
Wow, talk about the lack of memory. Back in the wild and wooly days before the iTMS, what did we have? A wilderness with crappy online music stores run by the majors, and various P2P sites. It was Steve’s reasonable compromise that brought legitimate downloads into widespread use. What a d*uchebag.
I’m so glad that I haven’t handed over my TV licensing fee to the BBC preferring instead to watch TV in a bunker craftily concealed underneath my house which is well stocked with tins of beans but has no carpets.
Hah! They can go and whistle if they want my money!
Wow, it’s an issue which isn’t 100% black and white. Who would have thought that different parties would have different opinions on the matter, or would have different fears as to what they could lose or gain if DRM changed or was done away with?
Ah yes… Ignorance is certainly bliss, except for MS as Apple continues, with or without DRM, to trounce the competition, especially MS based competition.
His email address is bill@andfinally.com
Load him up.
Hey, I give MDN heads up about this article and what do I get? Not even a lousy credit!
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If anyone cares, it is well known that Bill Thompson is thick as shit.
People like him report because they can’t do what the people they report about do. As a result, they do their best to discredit who they wish to be but can’t because of their own incompetence.
what’s the difference between playsforsure and fairplay that means that one can be licenced freely without risking compromise, and the other can’t?
just wondering
One works and one doesn’t.
I think that Steve Jobs thinks he will sell more iPods and iTunes tracks without DRM. I think he’s right.
Another graduate of the John Dvorak School of Journalism
His rantings…. I mean ratings must have been slipping, and he decided he need some traffic……
“I don’t believe him”
so , he’s calling steve jobs a liar
isn’t that libel ?
Send your emails to the ad watchdog that’s investigating the BBC. Thompson likely set his email filter to trash everything with Apple or Mac in the messages.
It’s the BBC, the guttersnipe of “news” — the U.K.’s Pravda. Sending complaints to Thompson is like sending pro-Apple emails to Ballmer; useless and a waste of time.