'Abandon DRM' shocker: Apple CEO pens open letter - silicon.com (Jobs moves for preemptive strike)

My take: Jobs knows that DRM is about to be dropped by the major labels - there is NO way they can get any real growth out of digital music if they keep on selling cripple-ware and incompatible formats.  Now, Jobs makes this announcement - it's really a preemptive strike, telling the labels to just do what the must do - and Apple will continue to sell their ipods, iphones and computers. Well done, Steve. As for the major record labels, ACT NOW: be bold. admit you were wrong. tell the world and move on. get with the program. and get your audience back.

'Abandon DRM' shocker: Apple CEO pens open letter - WebWatch - Breaking Business and Technology News at silicon.com.

Jobs wrote: "Imagine a world where every online store sells DRM-free music encoded in open licensable formats. In such a world, any player can play music purchased from any store, and any store can sell music which is playable on all players. This is clearly the best alternative for consumers, and Apple would embrace it in a heartbeat.