So today Apple unveiled its iTunes Music Store. $0.99 a song, handled through iTunes and facilitated by a .Mac or Apple ID. Is this the move that makes non-infringing online music happen?
Archives for April 2003
Many blogs are covering
this week’s O’Reilly Emerging Technology Conference in Santa Clara, CA, but so far Jason Kottke’s blog – and particularly his sidebar links – is a particularly excellent reference point to consult.
The biggest story I missed
during my mini-hiatus over my wedding weekend (and subsequently) was the Apple-Universal Music story. It took me by surprise, but I agree with this analysis from Eric Hellweg of CNN/Money: it is a very tantalizing idea.
It’s clear that the record industry is too antidiluvian to figure this out on their own – even Sony, who would be a natural for a similar strategy, can’t seem to figure this out. But this whole thing is like the classic prisoner’s dilemma, but one in which all of us could benefit from the defection of just one player. In a way the music business is correct as it stands now – as long as none of them defect, they are achieving their optimal outcome as a group. But when one of them does decide to go, that’s it – the only optimal course will be to join the flow.
Excuse the silence,
but I have been very busy. Mostly due to the fact that I was married on Saturday in a lovely ceremony in Old Montreal. Pictures to come very soon, and several people who keep weblogs (but who I know independently of their site) were in attendence. Reports so far are that a good time was had by all. For my part, it was not only a great experience but I was relaxed enough to have fun, pure and simple.
