Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] iTunes music files (was "You had to know itwas coming")

[Vern Green <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

Yeah, I guess in the madness of the water out here, I lost control of
the original case.

You are right then, I am not sure this guy has much to stand on unless
converting these files is illegal in some way. I know that Napster,
which I subscribe to, uses the .wmv format. You cannot convert these
files unless you purchase them of course, but when you do purchase
them you can burn them and convert them into any format you want. I
would find it odd if you cannot do that with iTunes.

So you are right in this regard. The other thing I like about the
Napster program is you can download most any music you want and listen
to it as long as you want, as long as it is only used on the device
that originally downloaded it. Since I have a better audio system on
my computer than anything else this works fine for me.

I agree with you that this guy sees someone with deep pockets to go
after. I have no respect for the guy, my only point with this is that
you had to know it was going to happen. I think someone who has an
iPod and is trying to buy music from a different site would have more
to complain about. Interestingly enough though, these other sites are
more conversion friendly than iTunes.

I would actually prefer if Microsoft would stick to those things they
know something about. This nonsense with gaming consoles, media center
computers and selling music online is just ridiculous. They need to
concentrate on their main product, their operating system.

The recent news that Microsoft is getting into the anti-virus market
is concerning to me as well. I don't think MS, being as large as they
are has the ability to stay up to date enough to deal with this kind
of software. I for one will not stop using Panda Antivirus because
Microsoft has launched their own product.


On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 13:37:01 -0600, Jonathan King
<EMAIL:PROTECTED> wrote:
> On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 11:23:06 -0800, Vern Green <EMAIL:PROTECTED> wrote:
> > >My conspiracy-like theory about the iTunes law suit is that it is
> > >either being filed by a complete nimrod who doesn't realize there are
> > >trivial work-arounds, or that it is an MS-sponsored effort to spread
> > >FUD and/or keep control over media players in general.  And, yes, I
> > >mean that.
> >
> > I do not want to speak for the guy, but I think the reason he is
> > bringing the suit is not because he can circumvent the iTunes security
> > as much as it being a case that if he wants to buy music online and
> > play it on his iPod, he has to buy it from Apple's iTunes.
> 
> Uh...that's not what you told us the first time, Vern.  you wrote:
> 
> # Thomas Slattery of California is suing Apple because he can't play his
> # iTunes-bought songs on anything but an iPod. Mr. Slattery believes
> # that what Apple is doing breaks anti-competition laws, and he wants
> # damages because he was "forced to purchase an Apple iPod" to listen to
> # the music he had bought.
> 
> He has no iPod.  He bought some iTunes Music Store music.  He wants to
> play same on his Rio (or whatever).  Once again, he can do this with a
> tiny investment of effort.  Now, in a perfect world, is this the best
> answer?  No, but the music publishers wanted to make it just a tiny
> bit tough to subvert the Apple DRM system, and I really don't see this
> as having much to do with Apple.
> 
> I still think there is an ulterior motive.  Either a lawyer who
> foresees a quick settlement to a nuisance claim, or something else.
> 
> > On a related matter, I also resent that I have to download and install
> > Apple's iTune software if I need to use Quicktime. Has anyone
> > installed QuickTime lately? If you want to use it, you have to install
> > the iTunes software. I hate that nonsense, this is one of my main
> > complaints with Microsoft as well.
> 
> I do have some limited sympathy with you there.  That sounds lame to
> me, but, as you point out, is not very much different from what MS (or
> Real, or any of the media player types) does.  Quicktime has many nice
> things going for it, and I hate to see them try to tie stuff together
> in a not-Maclike fashion.  But MS is getting OEMs to build media
> player into *everything* from your DVD player to your stero.  As world
> threats to your freedom go, that looks like a much bigger one to me.
> 
> jking
> 


-- 
Thanks
F Vernon Green
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