Comments on: DRM is a stranglehold on your freedoms http://eatenbytigers.com/drm-stranglehold/ raw. simple. Sun, 16 Oct 2011 03:22:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jason Berman http://eatenbytigers.com/drm-stranglehold/#comment-204 Jason Berman Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:08:35 +0000 http://eatenbytigers.com/?p=667#comment-204 Steve Jobs on DRM >> http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughtsonmusic/ Steve Jobs on DRM >>
http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughtsonmusic/

]]> By: @ChaoticMark http://eatenbytigers.com/drm-stranglehold/#comment-198 @ChaoticMark Thu, 06 May 2010 17:09:43 +0000 http://eatenbytigers.com/?p=667#comment-198 did Apple consider the DRM issue when planning iTunes?oh, most definitely. did they make an altruistic decision to use iTunes to rid the world of DRM? no way. consider the purpose of iTunes was to help sell more iPods (when you sell hardware, give the software away for free). now, i think Apple makes some pretty sexy cool machines. you and i have previously discussed reasons why they're so cool. but the fact that you have to jailbreak one in order to use it in a perfectly normal way is, well, not cool. and yeah, that does set them up as an easy target and it seems to be a position that, for the time being, they're happy with. once they switch their stance you'll find me in an Apple store considering my options. did Apple consider the DRM issue when planning iTunes?oh, most definitely. did they make an altruistic decision to use iTunes to rid the world of DRM? no way. consider the purpose of iTunes was to help sell more iPods (when you sell hardware, give the software away for free).

now, i think Apple makes some pretty sexy cool machines. you and i have previously discussed reasons why they’re so cool. but the fact that you have to jailbreak one in order to use it in a perfectly normal way is, well, not cool.

and yeah, that does set them up as an easy target and it seems to be a position that, for the time being, they’re happy with.

once they switch their stance you’ll find me in an Apple store considering my options.

]]> By: Jason Berman http://eatenbytigers.com/drm-stranglehold/#comment-197 Jason Berman Thu, 06 May 2010 00:19:40 +0000 http://eatenbytigers.com/?p=667#comment-197 I think it's naive to believe Apple didn't think a few moves ahead on DRM. The music industry wasn't going to jump right into a DRM-free model without a platform to replace it. Apple had to build it first. At a minimum, the iTunes store deserves credit as a catalyst for moving an archaic broken music industry forward. Here's my question, how closed is the Apple platform? If I want an application on my phone, I can get it on there. I've yet to see any application (outside of tethering apps) that served any great utility that didn't make it into the App Store. There are a handful of notable declines, all of which are available for consumers in the Cydia store (jailbreak). I think Apple is an easy target because of their reputation for meticulous control over hardware and software. But if you query folks that use Apple products, I'd bet many don't feel inhibited by DRM. Quite the contrary, there is a cornucopia of amazing third party apps that enable easy manipulation of content, more so than I ever found on competitor OS's. I think it’s naive to believe Apple didn’t think a few moves ahead on DRM. The music industry wasn’t going to jump right into a DRM-free model without a platform to replace it. Apple had to build it first. At a minimum, the iTunes store deserves credit as a catalyst for moving an archaic broken music industry forward.

Here’s my question, how closed is the Apple platform? If I want an application on my phone, I can get it on there. I’ve yet to see any application (outside of tethering apps) that served any great utility that didn’t make it into the App Store. There are a handful of notable declines, all of which are available for consumers in the Cydia store (jailbreak).

I think Apple is an easy target because of their reputation for meticulous control over hardware and software. But if you query folks that use Apple products, I’d bet many don’t feel inhibited by DRM. Quite the contrary, there is a cornucopia of amazing third party apps that enable easy manipulation of content, more so than I ever found on competitor OS’s.

]]> By: @ChaoticMark http://eatenbytigers.com/drm-stranglehold/#comment-196 @ChaoticMark Wed, 05 May 2010 21:51:43 +0000 http://eatenbytigers.com/?p=667#comment-196 right, they have made some (all?) items available DRM free. was this Apple's strategy from the get-go? hardly. they didn't sit in their boardroom and say "we'll help producers distribute the shit out of their content and one day we'll be able to force them to get rid of that icky DRM stuff we so staunchly oppose." it really was pressure form consumers that pushed the issue. but, i do appreciate Apple listening... shame they haven't applied the lesson to their other channels. right, they have made some (all?) items available DRM free. was this Apple’s strategy from the get-go? hardly. they didn’t sit in their boardroom and say “we’ll help producers distribute the shit out of their content and one day we’ll be able to force them to get rid of that icky DRM stuff we so staunchly oppose.” it really was pressure form consumers that pushed the issue. but, i do appreciate Apple listening… shame they haven’t applied the lesson to their other channels.

]]> By: @ChaoticMark http://eatenbytigers.com/drm-stranglehold/#comment-195 @ChaoticMark Wed, 05 May 2010 21:45:41 +0000 http://eatenbytigers.com/?p=667#comment-195 i hear what you're saying about "choice" and i thought about that as i wrote the above. i agree, we totally have the ability to say yay or nay. the reason i wrote it was that many folks have no clue as to these practices... these companies don't make it public that this is how they do business. so, in that case, folks simply didn't realize there was a choice to make which is sort of the same thing as not having a choice. that's why i did what i could to promote Day against DRM to make my small corner of the world more aware. and thanks for the great comment :) i hear what you’re saying about “choice” and i thought about that as i wrote the above. i agree, we totally have the ability to say yay or nay. the reason i wrote it was that many folks have no clue as to these practices… these companies don’t make it public that this is how they do business. so, in that case, folks simply didn’t realize there was a choice to make which is sort of the same thing as not having a choice. that’s why i did what i could to promote Day against DRM to make my small corner of the world more aware.

and thanks for the great comment :)

]]> By: paradox4 http://eatenbytigers.com/drm-stranglehold/#comment-194 paradox4 Wed, 05 May 2010 21:18:56 +0000 http://eatenbytigers.com/?p=667#comment-194 "...these companies are effectively controlling you by eliminating any other options. without options – freedom of choice – you’re railroaded in the direction of their choosing." We ALWAYS have a choice. For instance, I don't use Kindle, iWhatever, or Verizon for these very reasons. If folks like you keep getting the word out (thanks, btw) these companies will begin to see sales decline, and they'll make the necessary changes or be out of business. Companies do business to make a profit. That doesn't make them evil. One thing is certain, however: we do vote with our money, and they always listen, eventually. “…these companies are effectively controlling you by eliminating any other options. without options – freedom of choice – you’re railroaded in the direction of their choosing.”

We ALWAYS have a choice. For instance, I don’t use Kindle, iWhatever, or Verizon for these very reasons. If folks like you keep getting the word out (thanks, btw) these companies will begin to see sales decline, and they’ll make the necessary changes or be out of business.
Companies do business to make a profit. That doesn’t make them evil. One thing is certain, however: we do vote with our money, and they always listen, eventually.

]]> By: Jason Berman http://eatenbytigers.com/drm-stranglehold/#comment-193 Jason Berman Tue, 04 May 2010 20:28:37 +0000 http://eatenbytigers.com/?p=667#comment-193 Mark, I too hate DRM but I don't agree with the views about Apple. If you look at the history of the iTunes store, one could draw a conclusion that they actually crushed DRM. Their model provided an alternative revenue stream for the music industry in the face of declining sales worldwide. Once that took hold, they negotiated out the DRM component away from the music industry. One could argue that Apple wrested control on behalf of consumers everywhere. Video is undergoing a similar battle. And interestingly enough, print will probably take the longest. Mark,
I too hate DRM but I don’t agree with the views about Apple. If you look at the history of the iTunes store, one could draw a conclusion that they actually crushed DRM. Their model provided an alternative revenue stream for the music industry in the face of declining sales worldwide. Once that took hold, they negotiated out the DRM component away from the music industry.

One could argue that Apple wrested control on behalf of consumers everywhere. Video is undergoing a similar battle. And interestingly enough, print will probably take the longest.

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