RE: [OT] iTunes DRM

["Paul Gordon" <paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

My gosh, what a can of worms!!

If I'd known this was quite so contentious I would have kept it off the
list...

To those who were broadly supporting a "pro DRM" stance, and
therefore
suggested that I don't use iTunes, - there's one slight problem with
that suggestion...

SWMBO has an iPod shuffle, - and in a classic example of restrictive and
anti-competitive practice (which if perpetrated by another well-known
I.T. company would have lawyers hopping up & down all over the world..)
the use of this piece of hardware demands (as far as I'm aware) the use
of the accompanying iTunes software to manage it... - certainly the
device comes covered with a large sticker with dire warnings of global
meltdown if you don't install the software before plugging it in to the
PC...

The other point is, that I would actually *like* to support *legal*
music purchasing.... - I have no objection to paying for the product,
and thus ensuring that the artist gets their dues, however, once I've
purchased a product, I'd like to think that I should be free to use it
for it's intended purpose at my pleasure... - the only intended purpose
that could possibly be ascribed to music is to listen to it, - and
that's what I'd like to do, - with no more, or no less restrictions than
any music that I might purchase on any other delivery mechanism... Faced
with the imposition of such restrictions, is it any wonder that people
still resort to "illegal" methods of downloading the same
music?....

However, since it would appear that I now have a solution, I think it's
probably best not to take this "debate" any further.....

Paul G.