Comments on: Apple ignores Norway ‘No DRM’ demand

By: Dude from Finland

Dude from Finland — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:11:37 +0000

“Hey, Norway, Get Real!! Says:

November 7th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Do you think Apple really cares if they have anybody in little Norway as a customer? They’ll just close up shop and take their offerings to the rest of the world and let the little snits in Oslo (particularly Thon) stew and whine in their own juices!!! WAH–WAH!!!!!!!”

Yeah… Norway today EU tomorrow. Besides the monopoly laws are quite similar in all of Europe so if it passes in Norway it will pass in the rest of Europe. And at that point the can really ask Bill & the boyz how much they stand to loose. What was it, about 250 000€ / day that thye didn’t change the product. 10 days = 2,5 million €. And I have a feeling they don’t have a scheme in place in case they have to drop Fairplay.

By: AdamC

AdamC — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 08:22:30 +0000

A blessing for Apple to force the labels to let Apple sell DRM free tracks.

By: Dreddsnik

Dreddsnik — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 19:54:35 +0000

” The problem is, Apple has to consider more than just the music market, but also the video market as it uses the same scheme there. If Apple were to make it’s DRM publicly available, it would be much easier to crack. ”

Already been cracked.
So that can’t be the REAL issue.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 03:53:31 +0000

While the labels are the people who imposed the DRM requirement on Apple, which requirement caused Apple to create its DRM technology called FairPlay, it is probably Apple’s decision alone to refuse to license FairPlay. According to Steve Jobs, “Apple has concluded, that if it licenses FairPlay to others, it can no longer guarantee to protect the music it licenses.” So its seems to be a decision by Apple alone.

Hmmm. Job says “no longer guarantee …” I have to wonder whether Apple would have ever guaranteed to the labels that FairPlay would always work no matter what. Did Microsoft make that sort of promise to the labels in terms of licensing their DRM systems? I wonder whether this is a lame excuse put forward by Apple to defend their continued exclusive use of FairPlay so long as the labels continue to demand DRM of Apple. Apple apparently fears losing sales of iPods (if they licensed FairPlay) more than losing sales at iTunes (if they continue to refuse to license).

So the Norwegian controversy might will be aimed at Apple’s refusal to license FairPlay on some reasonable and non-discriminatory basis rather than whether or not the labels made them impose some form of DRM in the first place.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 00:36:00 +0000

I suspect that Apple has been put in a pinch. Not by the Norwegian charge to remove it’s DRM but as mentioned by Steve, Apple’s contract with the majors requires it. The major labels would love to renegotiate a new contract so they could raise prices that Apple charges. That’s been the thorn in the major’s side ever since they figured out they should have charged more because it set the price for the digital download to be 99¢ in the customer’s expectation for pricing.

The labels have tried before to force Apple to raise the price and Apple refused. Apple doesn’t need the music market as much as the music market needs Apple for online sales. So when Apple didn’t cave in, then they tried getting competition going that might put the pinch on Apple to fall in line. That competition hasn’t been accepted by the public as well as has iTunes market.

So I suspect this is about more than DRM even though DRM is the claim to bring this about. Now I don’t know anything about Thon. Maybe he’s straight up in his political standings but if politicians in Norway are anything like those in the US, then politicians here manage to speak different things out opposite sides of the mouth. This is just the sort of thing they would jump on to look good while pushing a corporate agenda.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 23:46:51 +0000

Apple is hoping this will just go away.
Time for them to wake up. If they support other mp3 players it would increase iTunes store demand.
All Apple needs to do is set requirements for the 3rd party players so they can lock the device’s music up to keep the RIAA happy.
Really 50% of this issue is Apple and the other 50% is RIAA

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:07:37 +0000

I’m not sure what’s expected of Apple here. Apple is not using DRM just for fun. The labels are requiring Apple to use it. If anything, Apple should sue the labels for allowing other vendors to sell DRM free music, but not Apple. The only alternative would be to make Fairplay available to all other vendors. The problem is, Apple has to consider more than just the music market, but also the video market as it uses the same scheme there. If Apple were to make it’s DRM publicly available, it would be much easier to crack. The point being, Apple is being put in a touch position here. The real answer would be for countries to abolish DRM in general. Then, the record labels, etc. would begin to feel the pain and be forced to comply.

In the scheme of things, losing music sales in Norway would seem to be rather insignificant. Losing all of Europe might be another story. Time will tell.

By: Hey, Norway, Get Real!!

Hey, Norway, Get Real!! — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:42:43 +0000

Do you think Apple really cares if they have anybody in little Norway as a customer? They’ll just close up shop and take their offerings to the rest of the world and let the little snits in Oslo (particularly Thon) stew and whine in their own juices!!! WAH–WAH!!!!!!!