"DS: And this despite the noises that Steve Jobs keeps making
about removing DRM from the iTunes store?
"CD: ...they keep saying that. Meanwhile...Audible...has the
exclusive contract to deliver audiobooks to the iTunes store--and
is now actually the largest audiobook seller in the world by far
(they're owned by Amazon now), and Audible won't turn the DRM off
on their audiobooks, even when the authors and the publishers ask
them to. And, it's not just when it's a weird little indie. With my
latest book Little Brother, the audio edition is published by
Random House audio--they're the largest publisher in the world;
they're part of Bertlesmann....So, you know, if Steve Jobs really
felt like he didn't want DRM, he would be setting things up so
there were competitors of Audible in the iTunes store who were
offering stuff without DRM.
"...Meanwhile you have Steve Jobs running around saying--at one
point he made this big speech--how you should never allow your
videos to be available in HD if you're a movie studio executive,
unless you are assured that no one is going to make an HD burner or
ripper that will be capable of making your DVDs....So it seems
awfully mealy-mouthed, basically."
