U.S. Backs Apple's iTunes DRM 327
breun writes "The U.S. has asked foreign governments to consider the effects of interfering with popular new technologies, pointing to recent scrutiny of Apple's iTunes Music Store as an example of bad judgment. The U.S. Justice Department's antitrust chief Thomas Barnett cited recent foreign proposals to impose restrictions on Apple's iTunes service as an example of strict regulation which could discourage innovation and hurt consumers." From the Washington Post article: "In prepared remarks, Barnett said the scrutiny of Apple 'provides a useful illustration of how an attack on intellectual property rights can threaten dynamic innovation.' Barnett said Apple should be applauded for creating a legal, profitable and easy-to-use system for downloading music and other entertainment via the Internet."
Call me stupid.... (Score:4, Interesting)
How TF can restricting DRM then harm consumers?
Re:Or maybe it's just a GOOD government in action. (Score:4, Interesting)
What's stopping you from doing analog recording off the headphone jack to get your fair use? Or using a microphone if they eventually manage to close the "analog hole"? Fair use isn't the same as "convenient, unadulterated, pristine copies that preserve track info."
To throw your own argument back in your face - since when is artifically limiting my ability to use something I bought as I see fit a "right" of some company?
High performance cars artificially limit your top speed. Heck, 50cc scooters in some markets do this. There are workarounds.
But a more pressing example is how food is genetically modified so that the seeds of the produce you buy are infertile, so you can't plant those seeds and grow your own. Recently, I saw a bamboo tree for sale at a garden center with a warning that said that copyright law made it illegal to make offspring of the plant (however that is done with bamboo?). It makes me wonder why there is so much debate about mere entertainment.
Re:They're right (Score:4, Interesting)
These battles have been fought countless times in the past, this is nothing new. Corporation X gets big and gets lots of power. The executives use that power to get what they want leaving them even more power.
Take childeren's factories in third world countries. You could say "hey, they didn't have to work there you know," but it shows that you don't get it. In the west it's illegal to hire small children to work because we've learned the hard way that even if they have a "choice" not to work, the choice to actually do it is always a bad one and thus shouldn't be legal in the first place. It's illegal in order to protect those who can't make that decision/don't know any better/don't think they have a choice etc.
The same thing goes here. Some european countries are putting their foot down in order to protect their citicens. They're not idiots, they understand that agreeing to the terms of Apple (in this case) will always leave the consumer loosing. By forcing the corporations to not play that game, you've automatically protected whoever that would have agreed to those unfair rules. In doing this, it's not possible to do business which are unfair to the customer, and as such those business pratices simply disappear: It's illegal.
What's left? Business that treats the customer fairly. Instead you want less fair business, traded away in exchange for more yet unfair choice.
The playing field is equal for everyone. If Apple can't survive without treating the customers unfairly, they're doing a shitty job, since it's no problem for everyone else to play nicely and still have a pretty fine profit.
Re:yer stupid (Score:3, Interesting)
I tried to purchase a Stan Ridgway CD. I could not find it in Australia anywhere. I could not find it on Amazon. Eventually I located the artist's personal website which said he was no longer pressing CDs but selling all his back catalog through the iTunes store.
Excellent, I say. The iTunes store is due to open any time now in Australia (this happened a while back - I had been trying to buy the albums for some time). The iTunes store is finally launched, I find the album and try to buy it.... Unfortunately, it is listed on the iTunes US store, but not available to purchase from the Australian catalogue.
Short of obtaining a US credit card, there is no legal way for me to purchase this album in Australia unless I can find a second hand copy somewhere - which provides the artist just as much in the way of revenue as if I copy it from someone.
While I don't think that this is a situation of Apple's making - I doubt they specifically negotiated an exclusive deal with Mr Ridgway. I suspect he is supporting what he believes is a boon for independent artists and didn't think about the impact it would have for people outside of the US.