Some days ago, I was looking for an album by Hilltop Hoods. Unfortunately, iTunes Switzerland did not sell it (this alone would be material enough for another blog post).
Given these circumstances, I asked Google for help searching for "buy MP3" and "legal MP3 downloads", since I understand that artistic work has real value that should be paid for. Besides, searching endlessly through p2p networks together with the hassle of slow download rates just isn't worth the few bucks of the legal download.
Sadly, though, of the many results Google returned, not a single legal one offered MP3 files! They proudly call themselves mp3.com or claim to be "the largest MP3 music store" but in fact they just lie. And they lie insolently, since they sell amputated WMA crap. For the kids: WMA is Microsoft's proprietary answer to MP3, a format that comes with DRM restrictions that make listening to your music a real pain. As an example, it is not unusual that you can transfer a song file only three times to a portable music player.
But you're right, if one buys it, one agrees to these terms. Any lawyer will proudly demonstrate his plethora of expertise by explaining to you that such crippledness is proper. It's legal to impose restrictions that make a product useless as long as you inform the customer in advance. We all learned that law follows logic. This must be so complicated that there's not much room left for common sense.
Hence, it boils down to a simple fact: If you paid for WMA and feel pissed off later, it's your fault and, honestly, you're a poor idiot anyway.
So far, so good. Now comes the inconvenient truth: You thought that your WMA song will play on a device that officially supports WMA? Think again! You need new hardware devices that carry the Microsoft playforsure logo! You have an generously great choice of about 150 devices to choose from (as of this writing). 'In total', that means, every hardware piece, be it portable music player, cell phone, PDA etc. Isn't that great?
So, you want to listen to your WMAs with your cell phone? Just buy one of the 10 devices that support it. Given that WMA DRM in principles allows the shop to entirely forbid the transfer to portable devices, even a compatible device is not a guarantee. If you found a working match of WMA file and cell phone, you can call yourself a member of the very exquisite club of legal mobile music listeners! And guess what, as soon as too many people have bought into the very same club, Microsoft will introduce a new format.
Self-evidently, you'll need to get new hardware devices, too. At the same time, you must not forget to buy all your WMA music again. Remember, you most likely had two ineffective file transfers to your old portable player to find out that it really doesn't work, and one transfer to your then new playforsure device. Makes three transfers in total, and the DRM restrictions tak effect.
And what's the point of it? The revolution eats its children. The easy and modern, online distribution of digital music has turned into a customers nightmare. Whereas every part of the supply chain profits (from Microsoft via hardware manufacturers to the music companies), the consumer is blatantly cheated on. Buying a CD has become the surest way to listen to your music from different devices. But maybe that is actually the secret plan of the music industry? Back to the last century by enforcing DRM? Meanwhile, Microsoft excels once more in prostituting itself for its own short term profit and is on the best way to dominate the hardware business on an even wider basis of devices.
Oh, and, BTW, Apple is not friendlier either with their M4P protected iTunes format...
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