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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Jobs seeks online music shake-up | Jobs seeks online music shake-up |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Steve Jobs, the boss of Apple, has urged the world's largest record companies to begin selling songs online without security software. | Steve Jobs, the boss of Apple, has urged the world's largest record companies to begin selling songs online without security software. |
| He said the abolition of copy protection software known as digital rights management (DRM) would be good for consumers and music suppliers. | He said the abolition of copy protection software known as digital rights management (DRM) would be good for consumers and music suppliers. |
| Copyright protection had failed to tackle piracy, he argued. | Copyright protection had failed to tackle piracy, he argued. |
| The firm behind the iPod has been under pressure to make its iTunes music store compatible with other music players. | The firm behind the iPod has been under pressure to make its iTunes music store compatible with other music players. |
| Consumer rights groups in several European countries have lodged complaints with the firm over the incompatibility of iTunes with other music players. | |
| 'Best alternative' | 'Best alternative' |
| I think Steve is finally saying something he has wanted to say for a long time - he is not saying this just to grandstand, he really thinks this could open up the market James McQuivey, Forrester Research analyst class="" href="http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/fds/hi/business/market_data/shares/4/19359/three_month.stm">Check Apple's share price | |
| The abolition of DRM would enable all MP3 users to access music from any online music store, including iTunes, Mr Jobs said. | |
| "This is clearly the best alternative for consumers and Apple would embrace it in a heartbeat," he said in a statement on Apple's website. | "This is clearly the best alternative for consumers and Apple would embrace it in a heartbeat," he said in a statement on Apple's website. |
| Analysts said such a move would benefit Apple as the market leader in the digital music marketplace. | Analysts said such a move would benefit Apple as the market leader in the digital music marketplace. |
| Apple's iTunes store has sold about 2 billion songs since launching in 2003, and accounts for more than 70% of the US digital music market. | |
| Mr Jobs said that if DRM safeguards were dropped, Apple would be in a position to create a download system that could work with devices other than iPods, including Microsoft's recently launched Zune music player. | |
| He called on the world's four biggest music labels - Universal Music, EMI, Sony BMG Music and Warner Music - to begin selling their music catalogues without DRM restrictions. | |
| "I think Steve is finally saying something he has wanted to say for a long time," said James McQuivey, an analyst with Forrester Research. | |
| "He is not saying this just to grandstand. He really thinks this could open up the market." |