Posted on 01/14/2007 11:07:43 AM PST by quidnunc
Steve Jobs, Apple’s showman nonpareil, provided the first public glimpse of the iPhone last week — gorgeous, feature-laden and pricey. While following the master magician’s gestures, it was easy to overlook a most disappointing aspect: like its slimmer iPod siblings, the iPhone’s music-playing function will be limited by factory-installed “crippleware.”
If “crippleware” seems an unduly harsh description, it balances the euphemistic names that the industry uses for copy protection. Apple officially calls its own standard “FairPlay,” but fair it is not.
The term “crippleware” comes from the plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit, Melanie Tucker v. Apple Computer Inc., that is making its way through Federal District Court in Northern California. The suit contends that Apple unfairly restricts consumer choice because it does not load onto the iPod the software needed to play music that uses Microsoft’s copy-protection standard, in addition to Apple’s own.
Ms. Tucker’s core argument is that the absence of another company’s software on the iPod constitutes “crippleware.” I disagree. It is Apple’s own copy-protection software itself that cripples the device.
Here is how FairPlay works: When you buy songs at the iTunes Music Store, you can play them on one — and only one — line of portable player, the iPod. And when you buy an iPod, you can play copy-protected songs bought from one — and only one — online music store, the iTunes Music Store.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The only legal way around this built-in limitation is to strip out the copy protection by burning a CD with the tracks, then uploading the music back to the computer. If you’re willing to go to that trouble, you can play the music where and how you choose — the equivalent to rights that would have been granted automatically at the cash register if you had bought the same music on a CD in the first place.
Except that that little bit of 'trouble' saves a substantial amount of money.
FYI
I use a Toshiba Gigabeat, and can play anything I want. The sound quality is at least as good as an iPod, and it cost a lot less. Has anyone here ever used the Russian music services, allofmp3.com for example?
EMusic recently celebrated the sale of its 100 millionth download; it trails only iTunes as the largest online seller of digital music. (Of course, iTunes, with 2 billion downloads, has a substantial lead.)
I see. Because iTunes has sold 20 times the amount of its nearest competitor by definition they need to be reined in.
Yes,How dare they control 75% of the market !!!!!
It's pretty much the only place I buy music from any more. I'm sick to death of paying $15-$20 for a CD with three good songs on it and seven crappy ones, and then having to buy the CD again if it gets scratched or lost.
Of course, the concern I have is that the RIAA is going after Allofmp3.com with a vengeance. I'm always afraid that they're going to sue Allofmp3.com's customers. My thinking on that, though, is that I am a third party, and not subject to the payment transactions or agreements between the website and the artists.
I don't have to monitor Barnes and Noble's payments to the authors of the books I buy there, and I won't be forced to monitor whether transactions between Allofmp3.com and the artists are being handled properly.
Well, that was the argument used to sue MS over it's "monopoly".
"The only legal way around this built-in limitation is to strip out the copy protection by burning a CD with the tracks, then uploading the music back to the computer. If you’re willing to go to that trouble, you can play the music where and how you choose — the equivalent to rights that would have been granted automatically at the cash register if you had bought the same music on a CD in the first place."
"Except that that little bit of 'trouble' saves a substantial amount of money."
And how much money would be saved if people did'nt sue over every single thing they can think of? This "suit" is a money grab, pure and simple. I highly doubt her quality of life is severely damanged by not being able to play WMP formats on her iPod.
And speaking of closed formats, WMP is one of the most restrictive out there, to sue Apple *before* Microsoft is ludicrous, as you are far more restricted by what you can do with Windows formats.
On top of that, I think I'll buy a Zune and then sue Microsoft, because it won't play the AAC files I bought from Apple's iTunes store. /sarcasm
ENOUGH WITH THE LAWSUITS!!!!!!
At the time MS, like many other "new economy" businesses, wasn't "donating" much to political campaigns.
What do you bet MS, Apple and other tech companies have learned their lesson and donations will now flow freely.
I always find it hilarious when companies are criticized for their donation to pols as being bribes, when they have a lot more in common with protection money. Obviously the donations have characteristics of both, but I thing the PM predominates, as politicians have made it very clear that big businesses that don't cough up the cash will be harassed until they do.
So you believe that private corporations have some 'right' to have a portion of the market? Apple did a better job marketing, providing a superior product, and continuing to support its customer base.
Not true. I use an iAudio, a little mp3 out of Korea, I think. I can get FM and record as well. I use iTunes and can burn the music to a CD and can then upload them to my device. Is it a 1 shot deal, no, but I'm not spending hundreds of dollars to do what I'm doing now - playing music on the mp3 player of my choice.
The artists are NOT being handled properly. Allofmp3.com has a RADIO STATION license that they are attempting to use as a digital music retailer license. Visa will no longer process credit card transactions to them... because they DO NOT compensate the owners of the copyrights.
You are buying stolen property.
"saves", "costs" - - depends on what side of the equation you are on.
Anyway, what a lame friggin lawsuit:
"Gee, yer honor, I bought this here Toshiba VCR but Toshiba failed to make it so it could play DVDs."
Gimme a break.
You must mean "How dare they attract 75% of the market!"
Well, I'm not into all this high-tech music mumbo-jumbo. I play music on cassette, having gotten rid of my 8-track last year.
Ping
I realy dig my iPod, I take it almost everywhere.
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