IFPI Norway: PyMusique is Apple's Problem

Sæmund Fiskvik, the managing director of IFPI Norway has no problem with PyMusique, developed by his countryman Jon Lech Johansen. He underlines that PyMusique does not add Apple's proprietary DRM, which makes the music files unplayable on other MP3 players than the iPod. Fisvik says:

"To the degree that iTunes sells music based on proprietary barriers, this is not something that has happened with the recording industry's blessing and celebration. We are skeptical to this. This is a problem Apple has to solve." [...] "As far as I can see PyMusique does not violate the DRM system in iTunes, it only keeps the music away from the (iTunes) program."

Fisvik does not add that PyMusique probably violates some iTMS end user terms. Still, for a head of a recording industry organisation this comes close to an endorsement of an act of DRM circumvention, legally in Norway or not. What Fisvik is probably pointing to is the lack of compatibility of DRM, which will make it harder for consumers to accept DRMs as such, and thus harder to sell for the recording industry. In the meantime Apple keeps selling songs, even without blessings and little celebration parties. And even if Johansen, as just announced, ported PyMusique to C#, now called SharpMusique. Johansen asks for some Pepsi Cap codes or an iTMS gift certificate if you like it. Maybe this all is Norwegian humour at the expense of Apple.

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Cross-posting with the INDICARE Blog