[iTunes] Re: MP3 vs AAC

[Brooks Graham]

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True, there are attributes in AAC that allow for Digital Rights 
Management (DRM), but AAC is an open standard, and that makes all the 
difference if you compare it with formats like Microsoft's WMA.

What this means is that there can be (and already are) lots of 
open-source AAC encoders and decoders.  It is up to the person writing 
the code whether or not to utilize and enforce the DRM features 
available in AAC.  Should Apple make the horrendous choice in the 
future of abandoning their FairPlay approach and enforcing DRM *all the 
time* in iTunes, then we have the choice of not using iTunes to do the 
encoding - we can use something else.  However, I kinda doubt that 
Apple will ever do that.

Contrast the above with Microsoft's technology.  WMA (and all the 
WindowsMedia formats) are closed, proprietary formats.  While there are 
3rd party programs that can decode and encode the WMA format, they can 
only do that by using (calling) software (libraries) provided by 
Microsoft in their OS.  At any time, Microsoft can clamp down WMA and 
there is nothing anyone can do.

Kudos to Apple for choosing an open standard and not developing a 
closed, proprietary, world-domination-focused format.

- -brooks


On Monday, May 5, 2003, at 08:29 AM, Richard Nagle wrote:

> Well, that what they say now......
> AAC, is built with copy protection in mind. ( RIAA and friends )
>
> Cheer's
> Rick
>
- -
Brooks Graham
brooksgraham at mac.com
http://www.brooksgraham.com/

"Hey, it's Unix - I know this!"
         - From the movie "Jurassic Park"

- -
Brooks Graham
brooksgraham at mac.com
http://www.brooksgraham.com/

"Hey, it's Unix - I know this!"
         - From the movie "Jurassic Park"

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