Music DRM's Final Days

Less than a year after eMarketer asked "Is DRM Doomed?," the answer is fast becoming "yes." As The New York Times reported, Sony is the last of the big four music labels to offer music unrestricted by DRM for download from Amazon.com. The move is important for several reasons, but music marketers will likely be most excited by the prospect of a larger online music market. The move threatens to undermine Apple’s leadership in this area. Paul Verna, senior analyst at eMarketer, said that Amazon has a number of competitive advantages that may change the market share picture going forward. (eMarketer)