YES.

[cimorene]

When Apple sits down for contract negotiations with the major record companies over the next month, it will probably seek further concessions from them on selling music without copy-protection software.

The owner of the market-leading iPod digital media player and iTunes online music store has already cut an early deal with EMI Group, the third-largest record company, and enters talks with the other labels from a position of strength, according to music industry executives.

Because we all wish we could say no to burning and ripping cds to remove the m4a encoding from the iTunes store! And also on the principle of the thing. Apple, I love you.

Comments

[isilya]

Have you read Steve Job's essay "Thoughts on Music"? When it was released a couple of months ago, most pundits threw around opinions that Steve was just putting up a big front, paying lip service to the notion of freedom from DRM, but in reality profiting wildly from DRM as a lock-in to the iPod. It's very satisfying to now see the same pundits eating their words. :D

Myself, I feel a bit anxious about the state of Steve's health -- I'm quite sure he's perfectly healthy, but I would prefer if, like in mediaeval times, we could have daily bulletins as to the state of the king Steve. I want him to live long and prosper, and continue to innovate me beautiful things that enrich my life.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

No! At least I don't think I've read that. But I'm not surprised that he's backing up his words with action at all. I definitely get that from him. And his politics, and actually pushing technology into the future - being so innovative and going where the market wants and saying fuck you to the record companies and stuff, that is what my love for Apple is about, and why I insist that if we get a laptop I only want an Apple one - although also because word of mouth and experience tells me how much PC laptops suck. But even assuming that the PC laptops have reached the future and are Just As Awesome as Brother Windows insists? I still think "fuck them" and I still think Apple deserves the extra money for being innovative and bothering to be user-friendly and nice to look at.