Openness, iTunes and Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs has had an odd couple of weeks, the iPhone’s been under attack a little, he’s got an options scandal-a-brewing and in Europe certain countries are taking umbrage at Apple’s unwillingness to open up iTunes to other music players.
If you’re under siege from the press or popular opinion a good way to deflect the problem is to use the momentum a story has to move it on somewhere else. Steve did this last week when he made the closest thing to a blog post on the apple website, where he called on Europe to encourage their music companies to stop the requirement for digital rights management.
Saying one thing though, is very different from actually doing something. Om points to a great post by Ted Wallingford who suggests that Apple should turn iTunes into a platform where bands themselves can upload DRM-free content. Taking leadership in this area would have truly moved the story and would have closesly aligned Apple’s actions with the perception and desires of its core Mac-following audience. Surely a win-win.