Hard feelings about words said

Interesting times. Following Steve Job’s Heartbeat post, Edgar Bronfman, the head of Warner Music, is reported to have made scathing comments about Jobs’ vision of a DRM-free world. Here’s a quote:

“The notion that music does not deserve the same protections as software, television, films, video games, or other intellectual property, simply because there is an unprotected legacy product available in the physical world is completely without logic or merit.”

That, on a day when Warner Music announced a 74% drop in first-quarter net income. Interesting.

At the same time, EMI announced that they were considering ditching DRM completely, and going for protection-free MP3s; it appears they are assessing the value of upfront guarantees from online retailers, having been delighted with their DRM free experiments involving Norah Jones amongst others.

Two firms. Two firms in markets similar enough for them to consider merging not that long ago. Two firms with diametrically opposed views on a key strategic issues. I wonder what would have happened if the merger had gone ahead…..

Makes me think of the old Paul Simon song….

There’s been some hard feelings here
About some words that were said
There’s been some hard feelings here
And what is more
There’s been a bloody purple nose
And some bloody purple clothes
That were messing up the lobby floor
It’s just apartment house rules
So all you ‘partment fools
Remember : one man’s ceiling
is another man’s floor
Remember: one man’s ceiling
is another man’s floor

Paul Simon, One Man’s Ceiling is Another Man’s Floor

The divide is going to get that stark, floors and ceilings. Interesting how the Apple suit between the Beatles and Jobs gets sorted out shortly before this kerfuffle. And you know something? I thought I heard Beatle music during the last MacWorld Stevenote…..