iTunes Plus

So, as many may already know Apple has debuted an updated iTunes store that now sports DRM-free tracks. Some of you may also know that Apple embeds your name in the tracks as well. To the former point, I applaud apple for finally bringing this to market. I’ve updated my tracks and have attached a screenshot of Amarok playing a formerly locked album! To the latter point, I say, why care? This is stupid. Companies have been watermarking copyrighted content for ages now, and while it doesn’t work very well and usually can be stripped out without too much effort, there’s nothing wrong with branding things this way. After all, is your concern that if you upload it to BitTorrent that Apple will track you down? Big surprise, this has been the same deal with any commercial or shareware serial-locked piece of software where your name is tied to a purchase. That said, they’re not hidden at all either. They’re just part of the tags attached to each track you purchase, same as when things were DRM’d, and same as any of the other track details tracks either DRM’d or not. This is a non-issue that amounts, essentially, to FUD.