In reply to:
But I don't think it's going to be enough to kill the MP3 format in any way.
Of course not, and as far as I am concerned it shouldn't even. But that doesn't mean I don't want to have a choice if at all possible. Only if you have a choice can you (as a consumer) exert some degree of influence over the makers. It's like what we have here in Belgium with the telephones. Everybody agrees that Belgacom does a lousy job (compared to others) in terms of pricing, service etc. But they are the only people that can hook you up with a phone so for years they didn't give a rats ass about what people thought of them. This is why consumers need to have a choice.
In reply to:
Digital Rights Management has nothing to do with MP3 because the format doesn't use it.
You mean : 'Doesn't use it
YET'. I agree it will be extremely difficult to force it upon the users at this stage but that will imho not stop them from trying. One can not deny that the music (and other likewise) industry is trying to force such mechanisms onto the people.
As for DRM I give it a defenite NO. In all forms and shapes. Why because I don't trust the people who have the control over it one bit. It's that simple. Let's not forget that these people care about profits and about little else. The worst case scenario I can think of (though it prolly is only the beginning) is what Microsoft has done with it's licenses. If you don't know what I mean then look around at how many online PC resellers offer you computers WITHOUT the Microsoft OS included in the price. Why because Microsoft wants to sell you more and more licenses of the same product you have purchased time and time again. Now with XP they have even gone further.
Accepting any form of DRM means opening the door to such moneymaking schemes. There are already examples where you can buy ebooks and audio that only play for a limited amount of time ...
So what is the solution you ask ? I really do not know. But the solutions that are suggested at present are unacceptable to me.
Yes, I agree, there will always be people that find loopholes through either the laws or the security on the files themselves. But then that is illegal. All I want to do is put my tracks on my EMPEG or similar device (perhaps on my laptop for when I spend some time at say a hotel) at will.
Cheers,
Hans
Mk2 - Blue & Red - 080000431
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