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SellingDigitalMusicwithoutCopy-protectionMakesSense
A.Itwasuncharacteristicallylow-keyfortheindustry’sgreatest
showman.ButtheessaypublishedthisweekbySteveJobs,thebossof
Apple,onhisfirm’swebsiteundertheunassumingtitle“Thoughtson
Music”hasnonethelessprovokedavigorousdebateaboutthefutureof
digitalmusic,whichAppledominateswithitsiPodmusic-playerandiTunes
music-store.Atissueis“digitalrightsmanagement”(DRM)—thetechnology
guardingdownloadedmusicagainsttheft.Sincethereisnocommonstandard
forDRM,italsohastheside-effectthatsongspurchasedforonetypeof
music-playermaynotworkonanother.Apple’sDRMsystem,called
FairPlay,isthemostwidespread.SoitcameasasurprisewhenMr.Jobs
calledforDRMfordigitalmusictobeabolished.
B.ThisisachangeoftackforApple.Ithascomeunderfirefrom
EuropeanregulatorswhoclaimthatitsrefusaltolicenseFairPlaytoother
firmshas“lockedin”customers.SincemusicfromtheiTunesstorecannotbe
playedonnon-iPodmusic-players(atleastnotwithoutalotoffiddling),any
iTunesbuyerwillbedeterredfromswitchingtoadevicemadebyarival
firm,suchasSonyorMicrosoft.WhenFrenchlawmakersdraftedabilllast
yearcompellingAppletoopenupFairPlaytorivals,thecompanywarnedof
“state-sponsoredpiracy”.OnlyDRM,itimplied,couldkeepthepiratesat
bay.
C.ThisweekMr.Jobsgaveanotherexplanationforhisformer
defenceofDRM:
therecordcompaniesmadehimdoit.Theywouldmake
theirmusicavailabletotheiTunesstoreonlyifAppleagreedtoprotectit
usingDRM.TheycanstillwithdrawtheircataloguesiftheDRMsystemis
compromised.ApplecannotlicenseFairPlaytoothers,saysMrJobs,because
itwoulddependonthemtoproducesecurityfixespromptly.AllDRMdoes
isrestrictconsumerchoiceandprovideabarriertoentry,saysMrJobs;
withoutittherewouldbefarmorestoresandplayers,andfarmore
innovation.So,hesuggests,whynotdoawaywithDRMandsellmusic
unprotected?
“Thisisclearlythebestalternativeforconsumers,”hedeclares,
“andApplewouldembraceitinaheartbeat.”
D.Whythesuddenchangeofheart?
MrJobsseemschieflyconcerned
withgettingEurope’sregulatorsoffhisback.Ratherthancomplainingto
AppleaboutitsuseofDRM,hesuggests,“thoseunhappywiththecurrent
situationshouldredirecttheirenergiestowardspersuadingthemusic
companiestoselltheirmusicDRM-free.”Twoandahalfofthefourbig
recordcompanies,hehelpfullypointsout,areEuropean-owned.MrJobsalso
hopestopainthimselfasaconsumerchampion.Appleresentsaccusations
thatithasbecometheMicrosoftofdigitalmusic.
E.Applecanaffordtoembraceopencompetitioninmusicplayers
andonlinestores.Consumerswouldgravitatetothebestplayerandthebest
store,andatthemomentthatstillmeansApple’s.MrJobsisevidently
unfazedbyrivalstotheiPod.Sinceonly3%ofthemusicinatypicaliTunes
libraryisprotected,mostofitcanalreadybeusedonotherplayerstoday,he
notes.(AndeventheprotectedtrackscanbeburnedontoaCDandthenre-
ripped.)SoApple’sdominanceevidentlydependsfarmoreonbrandingand
easeofusethanDRM-related“lockin”.
F.ThemusicgiantsaretryingDRM-freedownloads.Lotsofsmaller
labelsalreadysellmusicthatway.Havingseenwhichwaythewindis
blowing,MrJobsnowwantstobeseennotasDRM’sdefender,butasa
consumerchampionwhohelpedinitsdownfall.Wouldn’titleadtoasurge
inpiracy?
No,becausemostmusicisstillsoldunprotectedonCDs,people
wishingtostealmusicalreadycandoso.Indeed,scrappingDRMwould
probablyincreaseonline-musicsalesbyreducingconfusionand
incompatibility.Withtheleadingonlinestore,Applewouldbenefitmost.Mr
Jobs’sargument,inshort,istransparentlyself-serving.Italsohappenstobe
right.
Questions1-7Dothefollowingstatemetsreflecttheclaimsofthe
writerinReadingPassage1?
WriteyouranswerinBoxes1-7onyouranswersheet.
TRUEifthestatementrefletstheclaimsofthewriter
FALSEifthestatementcontradictstheclaimsofthewriter
NOTGIVENifitisimpossbiletosaywhatthewriterthinksabout
this
1.Appleenjoysacontrollingpositionindigitalmusicmarketwithits
iPodmusic-playerandiTunesmusic-store.
2.DRMisagovernmentdecreeissuedwithapurposetoprotect
downloadedmusicfromtheftbyconsumers.
3.LackofstandardizationinDRMmakessongsboughtforonekind
ofmusicplayermaynotfunctiononanother.
4.ApplehasbeencriticizedbyEuropeanregulatorssinceithas
refusedtograntalicenseFair