02-10-2007, 01:20 AM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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EMI Pondering DRM-free Music with MP3s
"Music company EMI Group PLC -- home of The Rolling Stones and Coldplay -- has been talking with online retailers about possibly selling its entire digital music catalog in MP3 format without copy protection, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing numerous people familiar with the matter. The MP3 format, which can be freely copied and played on virtually any device, would allow consumers to play music purchased from any online store on any digital music device...According to the people familiar with the matter, London-based EMI asked the retailers to submit proposals by Thursday telling the company what size advance payments they would offer in exchange for the right to sell EMI's music as MP3s, the Journal reported."
Very interesting news, and I hope this puts Steve Jobs' comments into perspective - he may have been among the first to make public comments about DRM-free music, but there were already behind-the-scenes meetings taking place to take steps forward. Don't get me wrong - it's great that Steve Jobs came out and said what he did and hopefully it will put pressure on the music companies - but it's completely inaccurate to give him credit for starting this movement (which is something the fanboys seem to be doing a lot of lately). Will 2007 be the year of DRM free music being sold? I sure hope so. I also hope the MP3s are 256 kbps in quality, and not some 128 kbps junk that will make me keep only buying CDs.
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