Robert Cresanti, U.S. Undersecretary of Commerce for Technology, spoke in a television interview today and commented on the European Commission’s call for Apple Inc. to allow music downloaded from iTunes to be played on any MP3 player, Francine Lacqua and Anna Rascouet report for Bloomberg.
Cresanti’s comments included:
I have some strong concerns about the tack that’s been taken with a number of companies including Apple on the issue of their products, the way they market their products.
Nobody knows the value of intellectual property, be it copyright or patents, better than Apple does.
I’m a little confused about some of the rhetoric that’s been coming out. You have every opportunity with Apple, as most 12-year-old school children will tell you, to burn a CD from an iTunes song and to take that music and move it to another platform if you need to.
I’m somewhat at a loss to explain the level of emphasis that’s been placed on this particular topic.
Exactly.
MacDailyNews Note: Robert C. Cresanti was sworn in as Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology on March 20, 2006 in a private ceremony. President Bush nominated him on November 10, 2005; the United States Senate confirmed him on March 16, 2006. More info here.
Related articles:
EU Commish backs off on Apple’s iTunes: No problem with FairPlay DRM – March 13, 2007
EU Commish on Apple’s iTunes + FairPlay DRM: ‘Something has to change’ – March 12, 2007
Anti-DRM activists rap Steve Jobs; Group petitions Apple CEO to remove FairPlay DRM software – March 10, 2007
Is DRM doomed? – March 09, 2007
How Apple’s FairPlay DRM works – February 26, 2007
Windows Vista’s DRM is bad news – February 14, 2007
Monster Cable announces full support of Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ call for DRM-free music – February 13, 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
Norwegian Ombudsman: Apple’s FairPlay DRM is illegal in Norway – January 24, 2007
Major music labels ponder DRM-free future – January 23, 2007
Apple’s files should be DRMless without having to use the lossy hack described above. It’s wrong for governments to target Apple exclusively when everyone except emusic is doing the same thing but if they think they can prove that DRM violates consumer’s legal rights and only benefits the corporation I say we let them try, as long as the ruling applies to everyone.
Spark…
So which side of the argument are you on?
Is DRM good or bad? Should there be an open DRM that allows consumers to purchase the technology they choose combined with the content provider that supplies what they want at a price they are willing to pay? Or should Apple and Microsoft continue to be beholden to the content owners who can withdraw the license of either iTS or Zune Marketplace at any time?
The conflicts with so many of the bozos on this site are…
• If Steve Jobs says something, it must be true.
• But if a Yurupeon (or anyone non-American) says the same thing, but frames it in a context which appears to run counter to Apple’s interest, it can’t be true because all Yurupeons are corrupt socialists.
• But if the Yurupeon Union fines Microsoft, they’re doing the right thing for the good of the market.
• If someone violates Apple’s intellectual property, they’re scum who must be sued prior to being flogged.
• If Apple violates someone else’s IP, patents are a bad thing that shouldn’t be allowed.
• If Microsoft violates someone else’s IP, they should be sued and then flogged.
I don’t hate America – I quite like Brazil and Canada. But i do have a problem with USA-firsters and/or Apple-firsters who can’t think coherently or consistently for longer than ten seconds.
I didn’t bring up the alleged superiority of American logical thought; that was someone else – but the point had to be made that any pretence of intellectual or logical superiority was destroyed by simple analysis of some other data other than the one which supports your point of view or prejudice.
Still good to know you understood the point.
Seems to me that someone who understands competition law has had a chat with our esteemed EU Commissioner and informed her that she has no case here.
In order to act against Apple, it would need to be proved that the company held significant market power over the market in question, and abused this power.
The market in question is purchased music, not just digitally downloaded music. In this market Apple has a small share, therefore no market power. There is by definition no case to answer. I’m glad someone has set her straight, hence her new quote
“Somebody drew the comparison with Microsoft. No, this is not the case because the share of the market of Apple is really not a big one so there is not any reason to talk about infringement,”
You don’t know the history of Apple, DRM and the EU.
I do.
My god…
There’s someone on Bush’s team who really know what there talking about – WOW!
You see! Bush can make good choices!!!
Warning!!! Al Gore’s Global Warming video is extremely depressing.
The short of it is this, I would highly advise moving North and out of low or coastal country.
Florida no, New England yes, Maine for sure.
Apply to your location.
Cresanti put that in such simple, yet logical terms even Bush can get the Jist of it.
Sometimes I think Europeans are sick of using using American tech, windows, itunes and Dell. Bitter folk. They need to lash out. Why don’t they join together and make a user friendly Linux OS to work on some Euro trash computers.
I’ve rambled enough.
At least someone has a CLEU
Wiseguy-
Be sure to stay away from the drowning polar bears if you go north. And frostbite(no, wait, that will be eradicated)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070312/ap_on_sc/polar_trek_1
Baristool-
I think Yurupeon in the wind. I guess that makes you pissed off AND pissed on. What was that nationality again? You sound familiar…
Apple just took the completely dysfunctional music industry into the 20th century and created a LEGAL music download system that WORKS!
Now all you “I don’t want to burn a CD… whaaaaaaaaaa” stupid wining idiots please sit down and STFU!
Let the adults deal with this issues.
“Nobody knows the value of intellectual property, be it copyright or patents, better than Apple does.”
This guy REALLY knows what he’s taking about.
“• If Steve Jobs says something, it must be true.
• But if a Yurupeon (or anyone non-American) says the same thing, but frames it in a context which appears to run counter to Apple’s interest, it can’t be true because all Yurupeons are corrupt socialists.
• But if the Yurupeon Union fines Microsoft, they’re doing the right thing for the good of the market.
• If someone violates Apple’s intellectual property, they’re scum who must be sued prior to being flogged.
• If Apple violates someone else’s IP, patents are a bad thing that shouldn’t be allowed.
• If Microsoft violates someone else’s IP, they should be sued and then flogged”
And yet, somehow, we poor dumb Americans manage to be cognizant of the fact that we are on an APPLE FANBOY FREAKING WEBSITE and that, as a result of said, it might be, oh, I don’t know, Pro-Apple in all situations. Maybe. Possibly.
Elitist jackass.
Look everybody! I’m the barista!
Waaaaah, waaaaaaah, waaaaaaaah!
Blasm (as the baristool)
you forgot to remind everyone how smart you are while you are whining…
uhhh is it just me, or has the MDN boards been hijacked by politicos ?
Guys … The subject here is Apple, and the industry, itself !!
I mean… Bush isn’t a complete idiot !!
(It has been said he owns an iPod ,,, and apparantly, he’s also
aware of which end the ear buds go !)
Latest info indicates that enlightenment has occurred to the dear lady after all, and Apple has one less thing to worry about. Perhaps some remark was taken out of context or someone clued her in. All’s well that ends well.
Guys…what’s with all the bushbashing? Anyone can make an occasional mistake. Fire Cresanti and put a cousin in his place, I say.
“what’s with all the bushbashing? Anyone can make an occasional mistake”
he’s going to make a lot more ‘mistakes’…buy Halliburton stock now.
@Barista
You make a lot of salient points. But you forget that many people outside the country are often better informed about American social and political issues than those who live in America.
For instance it seems many Americans are unaware of the battle to have creationism taught in american schools instead of real science. This despite significant court battles which were reported around the globe.
If you are an American reading this, you may wonder why Europeans and others make a big deal about this. But if the EU were to order member states to start teaching that the earth was flat you might find it both amusing and concerning. Science is science – and creationism is something else, whatever you call it. And its just not the sort of thing you expect a first world country to do. The push to abandon Evolution in favour of bible studies was greeted in civilised countries everywhere with a mix of amusement and alarm…
And as for Iraq – it wouldn’t be so bad except that America was much more enthusiastic about George Bush the second time around – when you all should have known better!
@Towertone
You never seem to be able to resist personal attacks. If your arguments were stronger you would find less need to resort to schoolyard jibes.
‘You never seem to be able to resist personal attacks. If your arguments were stronger you would find less need to resort to schoolyard jibes.’
Then why do you resort to personal attacks?
Of all the post on all the subjects, you’re going to point me out?
And which arguments are you talking about tonight, anyhow? Most of my post where in humor, which I understand ellitist know nothing of, and would explain your confusion.
‘For instance it seems many Americans are unaware of the battle to have creationism taught in american schools instead of real science. This despite significant court battles which were reported around the globe.
If you are an American reading this, you may wonder why Europeans and others make a big deal about this. But if the EU were to order member states to start teaching that the earth was flat you might find it both amusing and concerning. Science is science – and creationism is something else, whatever you call it. And its just not the sort of thing you expect a first world country to do. The push to abandon Evolution in favour of bible studies was greeted in civilised countries everywhere with a mix of amusement and alarm…
And as for Iraq – it wouldn’t be so bad except that America was much more enthusiastic about George Bush the second time around – when you all should have known better!’
Steve, you have no clue what you are talking about. You make it sound as if Americans want to throw out the science books and bring in the Easter Bunny.
As usual, when you go on a talkabout, you forget to take some sense with you.
Here’s some advice. Grab another Foster’s, throw a Ken on the Barbi, and relax. Remember, you are an ‘open minded soul respectful of all others’ (until it suits you to act differently, while demanding others to stay in line).
I hope more polar bears die. I hate polar bears.
@Towertone
Easter Bunny, Creation Science… Who knows what you will think of next…
You seem to be unaware of the move to replace the teaching of evolution with creationism? Once again you make my point…
Here is a book you should read:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/0465046762/nationalcenter02
Its entitled The Republican War on Science – there is a whole section on creationism…
Or you could see what your national centre for science education has to say on the subject… http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/news/2006/US/254_mooney39s_creation_science_8_24_2006.asp
I think the science community would be relieved if all they had to worry about was easter bunnies…
Or you could simply google “Kitzmiller v. Dover” and read about the legal case which received such widespread coverage in the rest of the world.
Tammy Kitzmiller, et al. v. Dover Area School District, et al., Case No. 04cv2688, was the first direct challenge brought in United States federal courts against a public school district that REQUIRED THE PRESENTATION OF “Intelligent Design” as an alternative to evolution as an “explanation of the origin of life”.
Do you pay any attention to anything important? Perhaps you should spend less time on here making silly remarks, and more time actually finding out what actually goes on in your country… On that note, there is a pattern happening here in case you haven’t noticed…
@SydneyStephen
I assume you are from Australia?
If so, as a citizen of your mother country it grieves me that you find the need to attack the USA the way you do. Your attitude of superiority is out of order mate.
And, whether you are or not, if the world needs less of something, it has to be the closet-marxist pretend liberal, gay, small-minded, self-deluding, dishonourable little shits that have never grown up, wherever they are.