Sony Surrender

[GhostShip]

It seems Apples a lot more tasty to the consumer that Sonys proprietory format 

http://software.silicon.com/applications/0,39024653,39158822,00.htm

Sony is moving to make its music management software compatible with Apple's audio file format in the latest evidence of Steve Jobs' dominance in digital music.
The behemoth Japanese conglomerate, which once controlled the portable music market, announced on Tuesday that the company's data compression technology would be compatible with a number of rival formats, including Apple's format of choice: AAC.

In the past, Sony has fiercely held to its own Atrac system. By switching to a technology that supports AAC, the company appears to be acknowledging Apple's dominance in the digital music playing market, say analysts.

Sony's new management system will allow iPod users to swap some of their music to a Sony Walkman but only songs they ripped from CDs.
Music downloaded from Apple's iTunes Music Store is prevented from playing on non-Apple devices by Apple's digital rights management technology.

I must admit to be a anti Sony man here, they are innovative dont get me wrong but the continual wish to overcharge and monopolise all aspects of its products is sheer greed and I for one will not forget the malware they tried to sneak by folks, to be honest I hope they choke on apple.   :twisted:

[SamSeeSam]

digital rights management ...

What exactly is that? Some method by which you can make things non compatiable with other applications or hardware... in this case itunes?

[GhostShip]

Digital right management is supposed to be a seamless method of protecting the rights of the owner of the work, in practice its turned into a weapon to kill competition and stifle small businesses.

Allowing a Monopoly is not good for anyone, DRM has only encouraged such monopolies and should be retired before those big business.s pushing hard for it are.

We wont forget the theft of fair use rights by the recording Industry theives who seek to find new ways to extort revenue by selling you the same prodct 3 or 4 times.

[SamSeeSam]

How does it protect the work of the inventor.

[GhostShip]

Rather simply, it acts as a kind of Digital Lock that will only allow playback of the media if all the licencing conditions encoded into the file are met.