Warner Music's Bronfman Takes On Steve Jobs Over DRM

Warner Music's (WMG) Edgar Bronfman had some strong words for Apple (AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs during an earnings conference call Thursday:

... let me discuss a couple of issues that have been in the news recently, interoperability and digital rights management, or DRM. Let me be clear. We advocate the continued use of DRM in the protection of our and of our artists' intellectual property.

The notion that music does not deserve the same protections as software, television, films, video games, or other intellectual property simply because there is an unprotected legacy product available in the physical world, is completely without logic or merit.

But let's not lose sight of the core issue. By far the larger issue for consumers in the music industry is interoperability. As a content company, we, of course, want consumers to seamlessly access our music and to use the music they have purchased on any platform and with any service, physical or digital.

The issue is obscured by asserting that DRM and interoperability is the same thing. They are not. To suggest that they cannot coexist is simply incorrect.

Comments

[jbelkin:]

The question someone has to ask Bronfman is why are they so attached to the CD which is DRM free - how is converting a track from a CD to an MP3 different than buying a track in mp3? Is it merely that they make more money? If it's just that, then let's re-price online mp3's - BUT NO ONE HAS SAID THAT. Is there a hidden agenda on the part of the record labels? Is it because CD's are harder to track than a digital file where in a few seconds, I can literally tell you how many have been sold?

His argument is that every "digital format" is locked but as far as I can tell, it's a 3-foot fence with a latch - While I have not backed up or converted other formats, I cannot think of any format - DVD, PS2, Xbox, Nintendo where you cannot download an app and convert/rip or backup in minutes. The UI might be poor and it might take a long time but nothing is really locked - but again, music is the only format without any locks on it in CD format but why does that need to be protected?

2007 Feb 09 02:48 PM