This is a horrible thing for Apple to have done. What were they hoping to gain by including this info in plain text in the files? It WILL NOT allow them to catch anyone, and if they do, it most certainly will be some innocent user.

Here's the horrible truth, that no good can come from this:

If I am a normal honest user, and someone steals my iPod or otherwise gets the info from my files, they can add me to (verified) spammer lists to get junk email, among other nefarious actions on the internet, knowing it is a verified email address belonging to a verified name. (see next)

If I am a crook: I can get someone else's verified email address and name, embed them into all my music, and put it all up on the internet to be freely downloaded, all the while knowing that if anyone will get caught, it will be my poor victim from whom I stole the info.

They can't possibly think they'd be able to convict on a name and email address that can be changed by anyone with the slightest knowledge of Unix' vim text editor, or a little shell scripting.

I agree somewhat. I'm all for having a method to keep track of files but it's certainly not fool proof.

All they have to do to stop people from forging it is stick a digital signature on the information, to show that it came from Apple and not someone else. Also, it's quite possible that the visible information is a red herring, designed to lull those people who intend to steal music into a false sense of security; i.e. maybe there is other identifying information elsewhere in the file, and that could even be encrypted or encoded into the audio bitstream somehow.

And your worry about someone stealing your iPod is just plain silly. Who exactly is going to steal an iPod to get your e-mail address for spam purposes? The Spam Bogeyman? Get real. Spammers get your e-mail address by spidering the web, by scanning Usenet, and by buying lists from legitimate and illegitimate sources. They don't get it by stealing your iPod on the street, because (a) it's much easier to get arrested for petty theft, and (b) it doesn't scale.

I give Apple my name and email address, and they give it back to me, and this is a privacy issue? Someone is going to steal my iPod, slurp the files off and go through them looking for my name and email address ? This would be th eleast of my concerns, I would think they would be more interested in my Contact List.. This is just another attempt to get 15 minutes of fame by slamming Apple..

I've finally seen someone who doesn't currently get spam. That's incredible, greagarious! How did you do it? Does anyone get your email address? Or do you just have one and lock it away?

I've had email addresses that got spammed within days of creating it, even before I gave it to anyone. How does it happen. Gee, I don't know, standard dictionary attack (since it always seems to interpersed with like emails). but I don't pay attention anymore, anyway. Of all the things that could go bad in the world, having my email addresses on spam lists is really low on my concerns list.

Oh, and they're not trying to 'convict' people. But if they notice certain users' music keeps showing up, they might, I don't know, cancel your account.

Just saw this elsewhere. It turns out, get this, that even the 99 cent music out there has your account information on it. This means that, even if you don't go DRM free, there's still email addresses to be had!

Aiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeee! Run for the hills!

Of all the things that could go bad in the world

Why is everyone saying this all of a sudden? did all that gooeyness that Steve and Bill produce at the d5 conference suddenly make us think we have enough money to wonder about our place in the universe - when the truth is that we are all just egocentric white boys with no girlfriends which is why we hang out around here?

The argument about having iPod stolen is very, very weak.

Let's assume (and it is an extreme stretch of imagination) that the person who stole your iPod didn't do it so that he can sell it in the street for $50, but, so that he could:

1. Hook it up to his PC;

2. Download and install one of those iPod rippers;

3. Rip the songs from your iPod;

4. Now the hard part; UPLOAD gigabytes of files to P2P (i.e. leave his PC up and online 24/7, so that people can download YOUR songs).

Now, let's assume the RIAA police trawl P2P networks and find that hundreds of their songs are shared and YOUR e-mail and name are in them. They go ask Apple for your details and (assuming Apple cooperates), they come knocking. Well, you better have your iPod reported stolen by then (I would, if someone stole hundreds, if not thousands of $$ worth of songs from me). On another note, having it reported stolen will allow you to re-download all of your purchased music again from Apple. If it's reported stolen, you're in the clear. If not, you'll be wrangling a bit in the court (assuming it's hundreds of songs), but you should be able to clear your name.

Let's review: this all could only happen in the most implausible of circumstances, and that is, that your iPod thief stole it so that he could illegally share YOUR music.

To summarise, this argument is B@llsh!t. There is virtually NO way YOUR songs could find their way to P2P unless YOU specifically allowed that.

If you have an enemy who wants to get to you somehow, and knows your name and e-mail address, as well as the fact that you download songs from iTunes, the argument here goes that this person could replace his name and address with yours, upload songs to P2P and get you in trouble.

This is incredibly poorly thought-out an argument.

When you buy songs, Apple records these transactions. That way, if you lose your songs, you could ask Apple to re-download everything you've purchased. In other words (for those who might be slower and didn't quite get it, Apple keeps records of what songs you have).

If RIAA police finds songs with your name and address on P2P, they'll ask Apple for your home address. Apple will check to see when you bought those songs; they'll realise there is a mismatch (some of those you never even bought). They'll initiate an investigation; based on the transaction dates, they'll be able to find the real downloader, (your enemy), who will now be charged with 1. illegal file sharing, and 2. violation of DMCA (faking that meta information). You'd be clear.

If anybody steals my iPod, what I'll be worried about is not some meta data in my songs, but my other data in the ipod (address book, appointments, notes, etc).

Folks, it's not like this has just started. Do a 'Get Info' on any song you have purchased from the itms. The account name used to purchase the song is listed right there. It always has been. Since your itms account name is an e-mail address of course your e-mail address is in there.

Why on earth does that info need to be encrypted? If you are going to run around and illegally share this music ...... you get what you deserve.

All you have to do is report your iPod stolen. Problem solved. This is a non-issue.