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Puretracks removes DRM from 50,000 tracks

26 February 2007 6:57 by James "Dela" Delahunty | 5 comments

Canadian online music retailer, Puretracks Inc., is now offering 50,000 music tracks for download without any Digital Rights Management (DRM) restrictions included. The files are sold in the MP3 format, making them playable on virtually any MP3 player and permitting free sharing. Most of the tracks come from smaller labels, but big Independents are also playing along, like Nettwerk, whose roster includes heavyweights Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan and Barenaked Ladies.

Puretracks President, Alistair Mitchell, admitted that the big four record companies, Universal, SonyBMG, EMI and Warner, are all still committed to including digital locks on music downloads. EMI had been in negotiations with several retailers about selling DRM-free downloads, but broke off the tracks presumably over failing to agree on an upfront fee that retailers would have to pay.

Some industry insiders do acknowledge that DRM stances are changing rapidly however. "The industry is starting to wake up to the realization that you can't treat your fans like criminals from the get-go," said Andrew Cash, head of the Canadian Music Creators Coalition. "When you do that you're just not going to keep them. This is sort of a wide-open field - we need to get into some serious discussions about how to monetize the free peer-to-peer networks that are out there so that people do get paid."

As an example he suggested small additional fees on Internet and phone services. The major record companies insist that DRM is necessary to control unauthorized copying and proper compensation or articles. However, as Apple CEO Steve Jobs pointed out, it's pointless adding DRM to digital downloads when you sell unprotected CDs, which are the main source of MP3 files on P2P networks by far.

Source:
Sympatico / MSN

Permalink to this article

EMI opts to keep DRM (26 February 2007)

RIAA tells Apple to license FairPlay (8 February 2007)

Jobs: Apple would offer DRM-free downloads if allowed (7 February 2007)

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Discuss this article!
Auslander (AfterDawn Addict) 26 February 2007 7:19
glory be! someone has seen the light! hallelujah, my brothers! [ + quote]
borhan9 (AfterDawn Addict) 26 February 2007 11:46
I like this. They should really put free DRM tracks on all old track and make them available for free downloads. Due to the long time they have been out like all the tracks in the 70's 80's should be out there for free without DRM. [ + quote]
hughjars (Inactive) 26 February 2007 12:07
Nice to see people, at last, moving in the right direction. Hope the quality is good and they deliver what they're promising. Applause [ + quote]
drzayus01 (Junior Member) 26 February 2007 15:37
Amen! [ + quote]
Canucka (Newbie) 16 March 2007 20:47
192kbs :) [ + quote]