Set Music Free, Says Apple Boss

Set music free, says Apple boss

APPLE boss Steve Jobs posted an open message to record studios today, asking them to do away with security software that prevents music bought online from playing on different types of MP3 players.

Apple would "wholeheartedly" embrace eliminating Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology that prevents songs downloaded from its online iTunes music store from being played on iPod rivals, Mr Jobs said.

Mr Jobs urged the world's major record studios to stop mandating Apple, Microsoft, Sony and other MP3 makers bind music sold at their online stores with their respective players to guard against rampant duplication.

"DRMs haven't worked, and may never work, to halt music piracy," Mr Jobs wrote in a letter on the Apple website.

Fewer than two billion DRM-protected songs were sold online worldwide last year while more than 20 billion songs were sold on compact disks, which can be freely copied onto computers or digital music players, according to Mr Jobs.

By the end of 2006, iTunes had sold an average of 22 songs per iPod, the most popular version of which has the capacity to hold 1000 songs.

"Since 97 per cent of the music on the average iPod was not purchased from the iTunes store, iPod users are clearly not locked into the iTunes store to acquire their music," Mr Jobs wrote.

"Perhaps those unhappy with the current situation should redirect their energies towards persuading the music companies to sell their music DRM-free."

Source http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0...5003402,00.html