James Delahunty
7 Jun 2006 14:44
The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has called upon Apple Computer Inc. to take steps toward interoperability by licensing its FairPlay DRM technology to other manufacturers.
FairPlay is the name given to the Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection that controls how a user can listen to and make copies of tracks purchased from the iTunes music store. You can transfer a song from iTunes to an iPod and listen to it, but you cannot do the same with a Creative Zen for example.
"We would advocate that Apple opts for interoperability," BPI chairman Peter Jamieson told the House of Commons Select Committee for Culture, Media & Sport inquiry into New Media and the Creative Industries. The tie between iPod and iTunes is gold for Apple as each plays a major part in the success of the other. iTunes and iPod hold over three quarters of their respective markets. Such a large share in the market is making the record companies uneasy.
"It's not particularly healthy for any one company to have such a dominant share," Jamieson said. He acknowledged the dominance of Apple in the market and how iTunes is driving legal music downloads, but he said that Apple should be prepared to license its FairPlay technology to other companies.
Source:
PC Pro