Indie music label rejects lock-down CDs
92570
'NO copy protection - respect the music' stamped on !K7 discs
333300
The world's biggest music companies,  including Warner Music Group Corp and Sony BMG, denied that  they have agreed to license songs for a free download service  that was launched by Qtrax on Monday.
479908
The move is a blow to Apple's iTunes Store, which has persuaded only EMI and a handful of independent labels to let it offer their tracks in the DRM-free iTunes Plus format it launched in May.
588170
LOS ANGELES -- The music industry is continuing its campaign against people who illegally download music through file-sharing sites.
400200
(InfoWorld) - Just because three major online music retailers bind their music stores to specific portable players doesn't make it acceptable, a Norwegian consumer group leading the charge against Apple's DRM (digital rights management) policy says. "ITunes Music Store and others are unfair to consumers no matter how many download services follow the proprietary approach," wrote Torgeir Waterhouse, a senior advisor at The Norwegian Consumer Council, in response to a letter written by Apple CEO Steve Jobs andÂ posted on the Apple Web siteÂ on Tuesday. Jobs examined why DRM exists and discusses alternatives to the current set-up in his open response to calls for Apple to allow users to buy songs from the iTunes store and play them on any device. Norway's consumer representative hasÂ threatened legal action against AppleÂ for violating Norwegian law by limiting iTunes customers to playing their music only on iPods. Consumer groups in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, France, and Germany haveÂ joined Norway's complaintÂ against Apple. Jobs points out that Microsoft and Sony also sell music that can only be played on their players, supporting a model that serves customers well with choice and a continuing stream of innovative products. He also suggests that groups like Waterhouse's "redirect their energies" toward convincing the music labels to sell music without DRM, technology that aims to restrict how buyers can copy or use the music. The four biggest record labels forced Apple to employ a proprietary DRM system as a condition of the agreement that allows Apple to sell their music, he said. Ideally, he said, the labels wouldn't require DRM. "This is clearly the best alternative for consumers, and Apple would embrace it in a heartbeat," Jobs wrote. While Waterhouse agrees that the record companies carry some fault for the situation, the iTunes music store and others like it are ultimately responsible. "They're still the company that's selling music to the consumers and are responsible for offering a fair deal according to Norwegian law," he said. Still, with his letter, Jobs' appears to have stirred up some additional pressure on the record labels to change their DRM policies. EMusic.com Inc., which claims to be the second largest music download site, only sells DRM-free music from thousands of independent labels. But the site would like be able to sell music from the four biggest labels. "We are hopeful the remaining four will one day join [the independent labels] by licensing their complete catalogs and reap the benefits of consumer demand," David Pakman, president and CEO of eMusic, wrote in a response to Jobs' letter. Even though Jobs didn't hint that a solution might be impending, Waterhouse appeared to see a glimmer of hope. "If this means that Apple is willing to the kick the lock in technology from the [iTunes/iPod] combination this is really good news -- news that should be put into action as soon as possible to bring us all one important step closer to a well functioning digital society," he wrote.
489018
Warner Music rejects Apple's call for the removal of copy protection software from music downloads.
34339
"How much do you want to pay for music?" A record label which uses Creative Commons licences and allows consumers to choose how much they pay for music is focusing on streaming music because its downloading business has dipped dramatically.â¦
642272
LimeWireÂs counterclaim against the record industry accuses it of a Âmodern conspiracyÂ to aquire a monopoly over copyrighted music.
108833
Two tracks rejected by pop singer Kylie Minogue for her next album are briefly posted online.
671312
Less than three weeks after Napster Inc. began touting its all-you-can-rent music subscription service, the company finds itself refuting Internet claims that its copy-protection measures are flawed.
751270
Record labels don't trust us with their music. They need to retune that thinking
181029
The world's biggest music companies, including Warner Music Group Corp and Sony BMG, denied that they have agreed to license songs for a free download service that was launched by Qtrax on Monday.
82270
Amazon MP3, which only sells music without digital rights management copy protection, now has licensing deals with all four major music labels. Watch out, iTunes.
586994
Warner Music rejects Apple's idea that record firms should drop copy protection software from music downloads.
281927
Apple is facing questions over user data placed in DRM-free tracks sold through iTunes.
473184
As major record labels complete their retreat from digital rights management, Apple's online music store will likely face new competition. Will consumers' love of unrestricted files make a dent in the iTunes Store's popularity?
730129
The lone holdout among the big four music labels caved to pressure from the rest of the industry and will begin to sell tracks free from the restrictive technology.