Music just wants to be free, Apple sternly disapproves

For most geeks, DRM (Digital Rights Management) is just an annoyance that gets in the way of our digital lifestyle. For example, if I buy music online, why shouldn't I be able to load it on to any computer or device that I want, like I can do with a CD? It's a tough question to answer but it appears that sluggish sales of digital music and movies might be forcing the industry's hand--in recent months we've seen a few major labels and studios quietly dipping their toes in the unrestricted download waters. Is a major shift coming? Former FierceMobileContent Editor Antony Bruno seems to think so: In an article for Billboard, he asserts that 2007 will be the year the studios finally figure out that consumers don't want someone else telling them how to enjoy their music and movies. Fancy that. Ars Technica, however, has the counterpoint: there's still one major company that's likely to keep using DRM in order to maintain a hermetic seal on their ecosystem. Here's a hint: their name starts with "Apple" and ends with "Inc."

For more on Apple and the future of DRM:
- see this Ars Technica article