iTunes File-Sharing Makes A Comeback
from the of-course-it-will dept
Why do companies think that they can permanently shut down file sharing systems? All they’re doing is driving them to go increasingly underground while becoming increasingly sophisticated. In the end, companies that could have benefited from embracing the technology will discover that the technology is still there, but it’s simply bypassed them altogether. Apple forced the shut down of iCommune earlier this month, which was a plugin for their iTools software, that would let people play music from another internet-connected machine running iTunes. They made the developer give up his software developers kit for iTunes. Now, however, the iCommune developer is is working on a standalone application that will do the same thing. What’s the end result? The software still exists (probably in an even better form), and Apple is cut entirely out of the loop. Companies need to realize that shutting down these things doesn’t shut them down. It just forces themselves out of the market.
Comments on “iTunes File-Sharing Makes A Comeback”
Apple was being smart here.
From what I understand, Apple gave the author the idea and even some tech help to make it a standalone, which is brilliant. They get a product out to their customers that makes the Mac even better, plus they demonstrate that their licensing setups are enforced, and they keep the RIAA off their backs. A win for Apple, a win for iCommune, and an absolute win for the consumer.
Apple knew full well that they weren’t shutting it down. They weren’t trying to.