Sony drops DRM

Song has joined the other three major music companies in making their songs available for sale without Digital Rights Management software which has stopped users being able to do things such as copy it from one device to another.

This is a huge change of tune for the big music companies.  They have spent years trying to lock their music up, but have now realised that it just hasn’t worked and in fact encouraged people to illegally download music, as that is the only way to get it DRM free.

The irony in NZ is Parliament is poised to pass a new law, which will give special protection to DRM.  Both the Government, and National, need to seriously consider the merits of continuing with a law which will be out of date before it is even passed.  I’m not saying the Copyright Amendment Act should be thrown out because much of it is needed.  But the changes over the last year would be worth considering before they pass it.  At present it is halfway through the second reading, so can be amended at the Committee of the Whole stage.