[mythtv-users] DRM Music on it's last legs - Another prediction comes true ahead of schedule.

[Joe Borne]

In all honesty, Moore's Law is in effect on this process in a way I
never predicted. I did see these events unfolding as we discussed in a
previous thread, but this is so much faster than I thought it would
happen.

From Slashdot, 8:46 AM EST:
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"Universal Music Group, the largest music company on the planet, has
announced that the company is going to sell DRM-free music. The test
will see UMG offering a portion of its catalog — primarily its most
popular content — sold without DRM between August 21 and January 31 of
next year. The format will be MP3, and songs will sell for 99 each,
with the bitrate to be determined by the stores in question.
RealNetwork's Rhapsody service will offer 256kbps tracks, the company
said in a separate statement. January 31 is likely more of a fire
escape than an end date. If UMG doesn't like what they're seeing,
they'll pull the plug. UMG says that it wants to watch how DRM-free
music affects piracy rates."
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More here: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070809-music-drm-in-critical-condition-universal-tests-drm-free-music-sales.html