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digital music/video

06/02/2007, 3:45pm, EDT

Saturday, June 2nd

Apple mum on DRM-free music privacy issues

Apple has declined to comment on why it stores users' names and emails in its DRM-free music offered through iTunes. Earlier this week, the company officially launched its higher quality, DRM-free music with the release of iTunes 7.2, which brought a few growing pains. EMI's historic agreement with Apple removes any copyright protection on music, allowing users to playback music on virtually any device if they purchase the the more expensive DRM-free version of the song. However, now privacy advocates are beginning to question Apple's move to include the information with each song. Unlike competing services such as eMusic which offer DRM-free music without any strings attached, several sites reported that Apple embedded personal information such as a user's name and email.

While Apple's has drawn criticism for the watermarking itself, privacy advocates argue that the information should be encrypted to protect individuals.

"There's absolutely no reason that it had to be embedded, unencrypted and in the clear," said Fred von Lohmann, a senior intellectual property attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation told Wired. "Some of the privacy problems, in light of this, is that anyone who steals an iPod that includes purchased iTunes music will now have the name and e-mail address of its rightful owner."

von Lohmann suggests that Apple encrypt the information to protect privacy without compromising the forensic value and also expected to see tools to automatically "anonymize" music with Apple's CEO name and email.

While many have criticized the watermarking of files, some analysts argue that watermarking is "certainly better than digital rights management, according to CNET News.com.

"Watermarking does not treat the consumer like a criminal," an analyst with Yankee Group Research said. "DRM is also restrictive, telling you how many times you can play a song or which device it can be played on. Watermarking works on the assumption that a consumer is innocent but provides the industry an opportunity to catch someone that breaks the law."


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Other story tags: digital music/video

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what's the problem?
0
06/02, 4:01pm, EDT
Having your name in your files is no different from laser etching your postcode on your mountain bike or iPod or sewing your name in your school uniform, or ....

It's yours. It belongs to you.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined Jun 2005
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Don't see the problem
0
06/02, 4:19pm, EDT
I do not see the problem. The only people who would worry about this is those who would buy iTunes music and illegally upload it to Limewire or some other such service. If you plan on using the music for personal use, there should be no concern. I also suspect that Apple used that measure to entice EMI.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined Jan 2006
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price
0
06/02, 4:41pm, EDT
What concerns me here is not that my name is there, I don't care much and anyway it can be removed (but why ??)

The issue I see is that those songs are more expensive - without much valid reason imho.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined Mar 1999
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re: price
0
06/02, 5:14pm, EDT
Then you certainly don't have to buy them.

Period. End of discussion. Done. Concerns addressed. It's over. Thanks for coming.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined Jan 2007
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re: price
0
06/02, 5:56pm, EDT
double the bit-rate, if you need any reason at all.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined Jun 2005
User is offline
OMG!
0
06/02, 5:59pm, EDT
Someone steals your iPod and they'll have your email address! You know what that means? They can spam you! There isn't any other way in the world someone can get your email address, and now Apple riddles their music with all these privacy leakages. Its just embarrassing.

In fact, I've discovered (yes, all by myself) another horrid security hole that's apparently been unpatched for years. Did you know the iPod has a calendar and address book within it that has any of this information! While most crooks will of course spend their time parsing up music files to find email addresses, one or two might think of getting information from here.

And, believe it or not, everytime you send out an email, your email account name gets sent out too! Its true! And its not even encrypted! Man, is there anything Apple can't leave a big security hole in?

What's almost as embarrassing is treuf not realizing that, since the files are twice as large, someone has to pay the bill for the expanded bandwidth usage these downloads entail.

On top of that, have you ever noticed that, when shopping for CDs or DVDs, that they sell multiple different versions of the same CD or movie? You can spend $8 on some version of a CD, or maybe $12 for the 'remastered' version. Or a DVD may cost $10, but the new "Special Edition" costs $20. What's the difference? One offers the purchaser more for their money. Same with the non-DRM music. Its supposedly a better quality recording and also DRM free.

I guess it comes down to simple economics. You charge more for what the people want (which is the same theory as to why the labels want to charge more for new music).
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined Nov 2000
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privacy
0
06/02, 6:52pm, EDT
RE: "Some of the privacy problems, in light of this, is that anyone who steals an iPod that includes purchased iTunes music will now have the name and e-mail address of its rightful owner."

God I hate people who flaunt privacy concerns without having a brain.

Gee most electronic devices these days have somewhere to put the owners name .. what If someone steals my briefcase that has my business card in the little clear window ... maybe I should encrypt my busness card.

Give me a break ... most sensible people who buy DRM free and who buy it for personal use should have no problem that apple put your name and email on your music ... after all it's your own and your not mena to be passing it around so who cares
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined Sep 2001
User is offline
DRM iTunes purchases
0
06/02, 7:45pm, EDT
Surely the same iTunes we've been buying for years also has some sort of identifiable user data, or else, how does the DRM work?

It's truly amazing the things people will waste time caring about.

Enjoy.................G
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined Jun 2007
User is offline
Records are rising...
0
06/03, 1:26am, EDT
...in value now - 1984 is almost (finally) here...
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined Aug 2002
User is offline
Keep your files private
0
06/03, 2:16am, EDT
There you go, don't share the music and you won't have privacy concerns.
Senior User
Joined Jul 2004
User is offline
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