The leading music retailers are finally catching on that consumers are sick of DRM. The good news about this, is they’re letting the record companies know that this model isn’t working and with any luck will be able to force them into dropping DRM from the music.
Following its landmark deal with EMI this month to banish digital rights management from the label’s iTunes tracks, Apple is said to be flush with confidence and is pushing the other three major labels into an unenviable negotiating position, according to clandestine sources within the organizations.
Though Sony-BMG, Universal, and Warner have all to date successfully resisted calls to end the use of DRM — with Warner CEO Edgar Bronfman infamously questioning the mind of Apple’s Steve Jobs for even hinting at the change — the companies now find themselves on the defensive. The iTunes operator is allegedly using the clout gained from the EMI contract to push for DRM-free music when royalties and variable pricing had been the focal points until April.
Apple has a lot of clout based on their sales alone. The EMI contract only adds a little gravy to their position. With Amazon on the same tack though it strengthens each other’s position, even if they’re not working together. But, if Apple and Amazon could some how get together and agree to both drop any labels that refuse to remove the DRM from their music, the labels would have little choice.
Come on Jobs, pick up the phone and call Bezos, or vice versa. You two have the ability to end DRM.
[Apple, Amazon set to squeeze music labels over DRM]
[tags]drm, music, apple, amazon, itunes, apple itunes, emi, sony-bmg, bmg, sony[/tags]