Annalee Newitz on iPods, free speech, and safe music sharing [ip]

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

---

Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2004 12:45:34 -0800 (PST)
From: Annalee Newitz <brainsploitation () yahoo com>
Subject: whose pod?
To: declan () well com

Hi Declan. Thought Politech folks would be interested
in a package of stories in the San Francisco Bay
Guardian this week about iPods, free speech, and how
to share music "safely." Contributors include old
school punk rocker Victor Krummenacher of Camper Van
Beethoven and XLR8R editor Vivian Host. And, of
course, yours truly.

The package is here: www.sfbg.com (note this URL will
change next week).

Here's a bit from my article:

Yaaar!
The music pirates' manifesto
By Annalee Newitz

WITH A GROAN, I peeled the transparent sticker off my
brand-new iPod. In the clean, cute font for which
Apple is known, it read, "Don't steal music." Even the
wrapping paper on my smooth little machine was full of
antipiracy propaganda. But the software wrappings
Apple places around the music the iPod plays are far
worse than propaganda: they enforce, with no subtlety
or charm, the licensing preferred by corporate
copyright holders.

Once upon a time, Apple's slogan "Rip. Mix. Burn."
meant "make as many copies as you want of your legally
purchased music." Now it means "make the limited
number of copies we deem appropriate." All that's
being ripped, mixed, and burned are fair-use laws . .
.

http://www.sfbg.com/38/19/cover_noise_pirates.html

=====
Annalee Newitz
tech * pop * sex
415.487.2559 - cell: 415.378.4498
www.techsploitation.com

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