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Thoughts on Steve Jobs’ Thoughts On Music
Dean Mortlock
0 comments 08 February 2007
Most people were impressed when Steve Jobs took the unusual step of posting an editorial piece on the Apple website, except the Norwegians, obviously…
The editorial, which Jobs clearly hoped would appease the Europeans and go some way to reversing their campaign against Apple Digital Rights Management software for purchased iTunes Store music, was posted onto Apple’s website on Tuesday.
Although it covered several topics, it finished with a direct message to the European Consumer Groups who are targeting Apple. Here’s the final paragraph in full:
“Much of the concern over DRM systems has arisen in European countries. Perhaps those unhappy with the current situation should redirect their energies towards persuading the music companies to sell their music DRM-free. For Europeans, two and a half of the big four music companies are located right in their backyard. The largest, Universal, is 100% owned by Vivendi, a French company. EMI is a British company, and Sony BMG is 50% owned by Bertelsmann, a German company. Convincing them to license their music to Apple and others DRM-free will create a truly interoperable music marketplace. Apple will embrace this wholeheartedly.”
Unfortunately though, this has done little to impress the Europeans – in particular, Torgeir Waterhouse, a Senior Advisor at the Norwegian Consumer Council. In a response posted on the MacWorld website, he said: “iTunes Store and others are unfair to consumers no matter how many download services follow the proprietary approach."
So will Jobs’s editorial help Apple’s cause? Only time will tell, but the fact that Jobs posted the piece in the first place (a highly unusual occurrence) means that he’s definitely rattled. All we can do is watch and wait.
To read Steve Jobs’ piece in full, go here.
For the MacWorld article, go here.
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