Apple's "Rendezvous" bites "Itunes"
[DRM, Utility vs. Infocontrol] Apple is clamping down on piracy by imposing restrictions on the way that music downloaded from its iTunes service can be shared. Changes to the service stop people listening across the internet to playlists of songs created by others. The change was included in an iTunes software update that also fixed some bugs in the service. ITunes users are divided over the changes, but some people have been heavily critical. Stop sharing Apple's iTunes music store has become hugely popular since it was launched in May of this year and recorded about a million downloads in its first week. Part of the reason for its popularity was the fact that it placed few restrictions on what people could do with the music they downloaded. The iTunes service allowed people to listen to almost any music collection that was sharing the same local computer network as they were. But clever iTunes users found a way to extend this local sharing across the internet using Apple's own Rendezvous software. Details of how to tweak iTunes to make it share playlists over the internet, and allow people to record the songs being streamed, were published online. The update for iTunes is intended to close this loophole and limit who can listen to a playlist. "Rendezvous music sharing..., has been used by some in ways that have surprised and disappointed us," said Apple in a statement. "Some people are taking advantage of it to stream music over the internet to people they do not even know," it added. "This was never the intent." The change has been widely debated on discussion boards online as well as on sites such as Mac Central and Slashdot. Many people have said the restrictions mean they will not upgrade to the latest version and that the change stops many legitimate uses of iTunes. One angry user wrote on Slashdot: "The digital lifestyle is all about the fluidity of bits, the fact that all computers on the internet are, in some sense, in the same place, no matter where they're physically located." Others were less outraged and said that, even with the change, the iTunes service imposed far fewer conditions on its users than many other online music services. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2946180.stm
On Thu, 29 May 2003, Major Variola (ret.) wrote:
[DRM, Utility vs. Infocontrol]
Apple is clamping down on piracy by imposing restrictions on the way that music downloaded from its iTunes service can be shared.
Guilty of provoking discord with intent to incite reading.
But clever iTunes users found a way to extend this local sharing across the internet using Apple's own Rendezvous software.
/* NB. - netmask is not a limit. Perhaps this will be a marketing angle later */
"Some people are taking advantage of it to stream music over the internet to people they do not even know," it added. "This was never the intent."
"Now that it has taken off, we need to make RIAA happy."
One angry user wrote on Slashdot: "The digital lifestyle is all about the fluidity of bits, the fact that all computers on the internet are, in some sense, in the same place, no matter where they're physically located."
People on Slashdot say just about everything.
Others were less outraged and said that, even with the change, the iTunes service imposed far fewer conditions on its users than many other online music services.
If you bought a 'product' from a closed system and didn't take self help measures, why are you surprised when that closed system changes? Really, there's no story here. -- Jamie Lawrence jal@jal.org "I'm sure being rich sucks. Everything else does." -Cameron Ashby
On Thu, May 29, 2003 at 12:23:25PM -0500, Jamie Lawrence wrote:
If you bought a 'product' from a closed system and didn't take self help measures, why are you surprised when that closed system changes?
Really, there's no story here.
That's true at one level -- it was expected when security is breached (or appears to have been breached; I haven't looked at the details myself). But then again when you have millions of people affected, that's generally a solid news story, in my experience. -Declan
On Thu, 29 May 2003, Declan McCullagh wrote:
On Thu, May 29, 2003 at 12:23:25PM -0500, Jamie Lawrence wrote:
If you bought a 'product' from a closed system and didn't take self help measures, why are you surprised when that closed system changes?
Really, there's no story here.
That's true at one level -- it was expected when security is breached (or appears to have been breached; I haven't looked at the details myself).
Not sure that's I'd call it a security breach - it is a design change. One that is actually quite easy to work around, although Apple's intention is not really hurt by that fact.
But then again when you have millions of people affected, that's generally a solid news story, in my experience.
Good point. I'm not a journalist, so my first take on things doesn't tend to run in that direction.
-Declan
-j -- Jamie Lawrence jal@jal.org "They [RIAA,MPAA] are trying to invent a new crime: interference with a business model." - Bruce Schneier
participants (3)
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Declan McCullagh -
Jamie Lawrence -
Major Variola (ret.)