Apple Blames Music Labels For Insistence On iTunes DRM

Recently it was revealed that many years ago, Apple actually deleted songs off its customers’ iPods that weren’t purchased from iTunes. It’s a startling revelation as it makes it seem like Apple is purposely trying to monopolize the music market and limiting the way their iPods are used and where it customers can get their music from.

However recently it looks like Apple has turned the blame onto the music labels. In a testimony given by iTunes chief Eddy Cue, it seems that Apple did not want any DRM on their music to begin with, but the major record labels had insisted upon it and would not participate in Apple’s plans unless they agreed to it.

Cue was quoted as saying, “They were saying we wanted this closed environment, but we had wanted DRM-free from day one. We had the best jukebox, we had the best store, and we had the best player. With DRM-free, we’d sell even more.” However it seems that the labels did not care for this. Warner Music’s then-CEO Edgar Bronfman was reported to have said at that time, “That argument is without logic and merit. We will not abandon DRM.”

DRM has always been somewhat controversial. In fact an article by Tim Lee back in 2005 mentioned how music labels implementing DRMs felt like they were treating honest customers as criminals. In fact this contention is not limited to the music industry, but the gaming industry as well as Microsoft had to rescind its own DRM policy for the Xbox One after they faced a huge amount of backlash over it.

So what do you guys think? Are the labels to blame for their insistence on DRM implementation? Or do you think Apple should shoulder some of the blame as well?

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Audio
Tags: iTunes, Legal