Apple embeds security info in DRM-free music shocker!

31 May 2007 16:18 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

The shock-horror story to come out of yesterday's launch of iTunes Plus with the higher quality audio and DRM-free tracks is that information, including the user's name and account email, is embedded into each music file purchased.

Although this does seem underhand of Apple to sneak this in without clear caveats making customers aware of the policy, what people should remember that DRM-free doesn’t automatically mean that you can start sharing your music files around like a crazed pirate.

Buying your music without digital rights management restrictions means that you, as an individual, are free to play the track you've purchased as many times as you like, and you can burn it or copy it to as many devices as you see fit. For personal use.

DRM-free does not mean copyright-free. Sticking your latest downloads on some dodgy P2P site is not what DRM-free tracks are all about.

Perhaps the almost hysterical response by some is due to the fact that legally available DRM-free music is still in its infancy so it seems that the public at large needs educating as to exactly what this new standard means in the real world.

The bottom line for this argument is that if you use the new freed up music the way you are supposed to, then having your name and email embedded within the file shouldn't be an issue, although it certainly would have been nice if Apple mentioned it.

Full tags

Audio, Music downloads, iTunes, Apple, iPod, DRM