Man, do we love Bob Lefsetz! We spend all this time trying to carefully argue the case that the benefits of DRM-free music are overrated, and Bob just nails it in a paragraph:
And one more thing. For those so ignorant, for those at the labels getting their music for free... The only people who care about DRM/copyright protection ARE THOSE WHO ARE STEALING THEIR MUSIC! People who pay at the iTunes Store don't give a shit. Which is why the DRM-free tracks at Amazon and eventually MySpace Music are not taking over the market. You hear a lot of noise from the Net prognosticators, but those savvy enough to bitch online are also savvy enough to use BitTorrent.
We'd provide a link, but Bob is so old school that he publishes his screeds via newsletter first, then eventually puts them on his blog. Eventually, though, you'll find Bob's entire text here.
See Also:
Confirmed: DRM-Free Tracks Aren't Helping The Music Business
Are DRM-Free Tracks Taking Off? Who Knows?
How Are Those DRM-Free Tracks Selling?
DRM-Free Music: Too Little, Too Late
Why Dropping DRM Won't Save The Music Business
