AfterDawn: News

Warner Music and AnywhereCD settle dispute

Warner Music Group and online retailer AnywhereCD have settled a dispute over the scope of an agreement the pair had related to selling digital music. Both parties also agreed to dismiss related lawsuits. The current agreement will be terminated on September 30th. AnywhereCD sells audio CDs with immediately available corresponding MP3 format albums for downloading.

However, it was the fact that the MP3s sold contained no digital rights management (DRM) protection at all that brought about the dispute. Warner demanded that the company stop providing DRM-free tracks, accusing AnywhereCD of violating their their agreement.



AnywhereCD sued Warner for breach of contract, business defamation and trade libel and Warner responded with its own suit asking the court to enforce Warner's termination of contract with AnywhereCD. Thanks to today's agreement, albums from Warner artists including Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Green Day, will continue to be available for sale without DRM until the end of September.

Source:
Yahoo

Written by: James Delahunty @ 7 Jun 2007 14:20

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• 6 comments

• borhan9

  Quote:However, it was the fact that the MP3s sold contained no digital rights management (DRM) protection at all that brought about the dispute. Warner demanded that the company stop providing DRM-free tracks, accusing AnywhereCD of violating their their agreement.This would be a feature that they should be happy about not sad. DRM free products are even better cause in the long run you will get more customers coming to purchase your products.

  7.6.2007 14:39 #1

• duckNrun

  This would be great. I buy the CD and while waiting for it to arrive I can download the MP3's (which I would rip off the CD when i came anyways!)
  
  Why can't these people understand that digital tracks are no different than CD tracks?
  
  Me thinks it is because they eventually see the CD dying off and downloading being the replacement and by getting everyone used to DRM now they will have no fights when they rope in the usuage even more and make the multiple payments for multiple uses appear.
  
  bunch of fools

  7.6.2007 22:15 #2

• WierdName

  You know, with this whole dispute about DRM, the RIAA and MPAA and all them are using a pretty stupid logical thought process. I mean, they are suing companies left and right because they provide DRM-free media. However, they allow CDs and DVDs to be sold and they are pretty much DRM-free. CDs don't have any DRM what-so-ever and DVDs have old, cracked DRM.

  8.6.2007 10:49 #3

• borhan9

  Originally posted by WierdName:You know, with this whole dispute about DRM, the RIAA and MPAA and all them are using a pretty stupid logical thought process. I mean, they are suing companies left and right because they provide DRM-free media. However, they allow CDs and DVDs to be sold and they are pretty much DRM-free. CDs don't have any DRM what-so-ever and DVDs have old, cracked DRM.The sad fact i think was mentioned by someone else already. If the MPAA and the RIAA do not do this they are out of a job. Its kill or be killed mentality. sad but the stupid fact here.

  8.6.2007 15:03 #4

• Mez

  They are pushing the RIPers to add DRMs to the RIPed music. Media Player has been doing that for a long time. There is method to their madness. Still the overall quest is stupid and counter productive. However, the Music industry is a product of 50+years of being stupid pigs and being able to thrive. Now that they have to think some, they are out of their element. They are pretty much like the oil companies. They just assume they will be able to rip off the public forever. I would like to get the franchise on air! That is the ultamate "dumb as dirt" money maker.

  11.6.2007 06:58 #5

• Unfocused

  That is a good idea to provide a digital and hard copy of the media at the same time.

  26.7.2007 20:34 #6