Apple Decides to Go DRM-Free

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple announced the removal of DRM technology from its entire 10 million-song iTunes catalog in its keynote address today at Macworld 2009.

In removing portability and burn limitations from its products, Apple has joined many adult websites in an attempt to make its products more consumer-friendly.

“Apple has learned what adult biz companies learned years ago: DRM is anti-consumer,” said Brandon “Fight the Patent” Shalton, founder of T3Report.com.

DRM, which has been widely used and dropped by most major adult websites, according to Shalton, “was a failure not because of the technology, but because of the consumer backlash. It sounded great in the beginning — the ability to protect content from being stolen — but webmasters implemented DRM badly.”

An example of poor implementation, Shalton said, is the situation in which members lose license to view content they had purchased and felt they owned upon ending their membership with the site.

“Adult review sites like TheBestPorn.com started to document if the paysite used DRM or not,” Shalton said. “Consumers wouldn’t join sites that had DRM. Since there is plenty of competition for content in the same niche, consumers went to other sites, forcing those who used DRM to either stick to their guns or remove DRM so they would not be excluded. Porn consumers like to collect videos, so being able to download [and] save [is] a major selling point to the consumer.”

The DRM-free versions of 8 million iTunes songs are available as of today, and the remaining 2 million will be available by April.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Ofcom: Age Assurance Going Live Across 'Thousands' of Porn Sites

U.K. communications regulator Ofcom said in a statement Thursday that providers of online pornography are implementing age assurance across “thousands of sites” accessible in the U.K., in response to Ofcom’s Online Safety Act (OSA) enforcement program.

ASGMax Debuts 'Roleplay' AI Chat Feature

Alpha Studio Group (ASG) has introduced the ASGmax Roleplay AI chat feature.

XBIZ Miami's Host Hotel Sold Out, General Registration Now Open

Guest rooms at XBIZ Miami’s exclusive conference venue, Nautilus Sonesta Miami Beach hotel in South Beach, are now completely sold out.

Adult Industry Educational, Networking Platform 'Imperfectly You' Launches

Imperfectly You, an educational and networking platform for adult industry workers, has officially launched.

Segpay to Launch News Network for High-Risk Merchants

Segpay has announced that it will launch the Segpay News Network (SNN) on April 15.

Age Verification Watch: Patching the Holes

This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

Pineapple Support to Host Autism Spectrum Support Group

Pineapple Support is hosting a free online support group for performers and creators who are, or suspect they may be, on the autism spectrum.

ImLive Launches Revamped Member Loyalty Program

Cam platform ImLive has revamped its member loyalty program.

GoFundMe Set Up for Danny Ferretti's Medical Expenses

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for Fangear founder Danny Ferretti, who requires extensive lung surgery.

Byborg Acquires Cuties AI

Byborg Enterprises has acquired adult artificial intelligence startup Cuties AI.

Show More