4.0 Sharing

[Eric Irwin]

On Friday, May 30, 2003, at 01:25  AM, iTunesList wrote:

>> As a stockholder, I support Apple's move to curtail the practice. Left
>> unchecked, such "sharing" would have totally destroyed Apple's Music
>> Store
>> enterprise in a few weeks and exposed the company to unsupportable
>> litigation.
>>
>> Much as I hate it, it had to be.
>>
>> Ron
>
> I'm afraid I have to agree with you Ron. I really want Apple's Music
> Store to be a success and it won't be if people can steal the music.
> It's a shame people abused this feature but it shouldn't surprise any
> of us.
> terry

I really don't understand why everyone in the world is connecting the 
music sharing issue of iTunes 4.0 with the Apple Music Store.  Yes, the 
two features were introduced at the same time.  However, that is the 
only connection they have with each other.  I can't see how the future 
of the Apple Music Store has anything to do with this sharing issue.

What Apple did in 4.0 was to give you the ability to broadcast your own 
radio station to a select group of people (5 max).  What the hackers 
did, was allow you to download music from those people who you knew, or 
at least knew their afp address and password (if required).

This did not change the security of the files sold through the AMS.  
The DRM of those files is still in tact.  You could not download and 
play files that were from the AMS unless you knew the password of the 
person you downloaded from and then that song can only be used on up to 
3 computers.  MP3s and AACs that were not purchased can be freely 
downloaded and used.  That is the same as any other P2P software out 
there, except you were only connected to one person and you had to have 
knowledge about that person's setup.  With P2P, you just sign on and 
you are connected to hundreds or thousands of people with no clue about 
them.

I agree that Apple had to do what they did based on the actions taken 
by the hackers.  I wish that they had come up with a way to secure it, 
instead of turning it off.  Their actions were a knee jerk response, 
but then maybe the only one available.

The point being, AMS and iTunes sharing are completely separate and as 
a community we need to express that.  We are continuing the lie if we 
don't.  This is another case where perception becomes fact if you don't 
clear the air.

Eric