What the DRM?

So I don’t know if you have been following all these Music DRM complaints over the last few months. I must say that while the current state of DRM does suck, I don’t see the difference between the song I just bought on iTunes for my iPod and the video game I just bought for my Playstation 3.

If you haven’t been following DRM news lately (or even know what DRM is), let me lay out a few of the facts to bring you up to speed. Ever since they started selling music online, the music labels have demanded that their music be protected. So companies, like Microsoft and Apple, came up with their own forms of digital protection. This protection is known as DRM, or Digital Rights Management. Microsoft has Windows Media Audio DRM and Apple has Fairplay. The two DRM systems are not compatible in any way with each other. Just like Blu-Ray and HD DVD not being compatible (but that's a whole other problem we won't get into). The Digital Audio Players (DAPs) on the market don’t support both. Apple won’t license their system to third parties and Microsoft’s, in my opinion, is inferior because it’s harder on the consumer. To make it worse Microsoft introduced a product known as Zune that uses yet another DRM system that isn’t compatible with their other system. Dumb. To make that even worse, they decided to have multiple versions of that too. So now there are four different systems that aren’t compatible with each other. When a consumer purchases a DAP they have two legal options:

1. Purchase their CD’s down the street at the CD Shop and then import the CD into their computer and transfer it onto their computer.


2. Purchase music through an online music store that is compatible with their DAP’s DRM system of choice.

Now the DAP world is controlled by a king DAP, that’s the iPod. It owns over 75% of the market, both in DAP sales and online music sales. So that means if you bought an iPod and you want to purchase your music online, you have to purchase from the iTunes Music Store and not the Napster store or even the Zune store. If you buy a Zune, you have to use the Zune store. If you buy a generic DAP, from say Creative or iRiver, you can use almost any Microsoft enabled store, like Napster or Rhapsody or Yahoo! Music. Just not the Microsoft Zune store.

So now that you somewhat see the compatibility issue. Let’s move forward a bit. In comes France, yes I referring to the country, in the Summer of 2006, they decide to form a bill that forces Apple to provide access to their Fairplay system to other vendors. They say that, "This is to protect the consumer." Supposedly so that consumers can choose their DAP and then any online music store. Now the French had a hard time getting this bill to pass, but Norway liked the idea and was able to pass a bill essentially making iTunes, and any system like it (Microsoft’s Zune), illegal.

I say all this is complete BS. Consumers are not forced to buy an iPod, or a Zune. They choose to buy it, because that’s the one they wanted. I wasn't forced to hand over my credit card when I went down to Best Buy. It’s not locked in if you chose to buy it. If they don’t want to be “locked” into an online music store, just buy CD’s instead. I do agree that DRM sucks, if you choose a Microsoft DAP that is. Apple’s solution is so seamless with the iPod you don’t even notice it is there. Except for when you set it up and had to create a user account. Microsoft has issues. They don't get it. I have plugged a compatible MS based device into a compatible music system (Windows Media Player) and tried to transfer compatible (and authorized) music onto that device. However, for some reason or another it tells me it’s not compatible. I’ve heard worse stories and it get’s much more complex. We won’t go there.

Are you a little more up to speed? Great, keep moving. I started to think about this and then I looked over just below my TV and I noticed my new Playstation 3. I started thinking to myself, that my iPod/iTunes system is no different than my PS3/PS3 games system. Think about it. The iTunes music I purchase only plays on my iPod just like how the PS3 games I purchase only plays on my PS3. I can’t go buy an Xbox 360 game or Wii game or even a PC game. They just won’t work on my PS3. I’m locked into my PS3 system. If I want to play those games for those other systems, I have to then also go and buy those systems. What a weird concept right?

The gaming market is HUGE, I mean really HUGE. Much bigger than the online music market. If these governments are out to protect the consumer, why haven’t they done anything about the gaming industry? Worse yet, there are no options with a gaming system. You buy a PS3 and thus you buy PS3 games. Where as, if you buy an iPod and you can buy iTunes music and/or you can also buy music via CD. You have options.

So I say to all you governments out there that say systems like the iTunes Music Store/iPod are illegal, you’re crazy and make no sense. Get off your high horses and pass some laws that actually matter.

Now I say to all you in the music, DAP, and online music store industries. Get off your high horses and create a DRM SIG (Special Interest Group). Create a DRM that isn’t owned by any one company for them to profit from. Create a DRM system that all are free to use. This isn’t a new concept, it’s similar to what we see in the mobile phone industry. They wanted wireless headsets so they created what is now known as the Bluetooth SIG. It’s the defacto standard. If I buy a Motorola headset I am not going to worry about whether it will work or not on my Nokia phone. If they both say they have the Bluetooth Headset/Handsfree profiles it will just work. Wow what a concept.

But like I said in the beginning. I don’t see a difference between the song I bought on iTunes for my iPod and the PS3 game I bought for my PS3. Why is one acceptable and the other so bad and in some countries illegal? Just because they are in different industries doesn’t change the fact that it’s the same concept.

-Colin