Experiments in DRM Free Music

[Chris Gohlke]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.com.com/Yahoo+Music+offers+A+Public+Affair+in+MP3+format/2100-1025_3-6096350.html?tag=nefd.top' target='_blank'>http://news.com.com/Yahoo+Music+offers+A+Public+Affair+in+MP3+format/2100-1025_3-6096350.html?tag=nefd.top</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Yahoo announced Wednesday that it is selling Jessica Simpson's latest single in MP3 format--in other words, with none of the usual copyright protection coding. Because the song, a party-pop track called "A Public Affair," has no digital rights management (DRM) protection coded into it, it will be compatible with just about every type of digital music player, from the iPod to the iRiver, as well as with film- and music-editing programs that may not have been able to read DRM-encoded files."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/B000GIXIAK.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_V63405606_.jpg" /> <br /><br />At first glance it would seem they are charging a premium by charing $1.99 as opposed to the de facto standard of $.99, but there is an additional gimmick. Apparently, you can get a personalized version of the song that includes your name in the lyrics, so this may account for the additional $1 charge.

[ctmagnus]

But if your name is Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, does it throw the beat? ;)

[Chris Gohlke]

They don't have Bort either! :(

[Jason Dunn]

It's great to see DRM free MP3s - I'd be VERY curious to see if this track ends up on the P2P network and is pirated in greater numbers than an equivalent song. As in, does releasing music in MP3 format have an impact on the sales of the track? I'd suspect it would not, so maybe this will usher in a move to DRM-free music. Or not... ;-)

[Damion Chaplin]

They don't have Bort either! :(

I repeat, we are out of Bort license plates! :lol:

[ctmagnus]

They don't have Bort either! :(

I repeat, we are out of Bort license plates! :lol:

Actually, in that episode, there were plenty of Borts. There were no Barts, however. ;)

[Chris Gohlke]

Congratulations, you've passed the Simpsons obscure trivia quiz!