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Selling Digital Music without Copy-protection Makes Sense
A. It was uncharacteristically low-key for the industry’s greatest showman.
But the essay published this week by Steve Jobs, the boss of Apple, on his
firm’s website under the unassuming title “Thoughts on Music” has nonetheless
provoked a vigorous debate about the future of digital music, which Apple
dominates with its iPod music-player and iTunes music-store. At issue is
“digital rights management” (DRM)—the technology guarding downloaded music
against theft. Since there is no common standard for DRM, it also has the
side-effect that songs purchased for one type of music-player may not work on
another. Apple’s DRM system, called FairPlay, is the most widespread. So it came
as a surprise when Mr. Jobs called for DRM for digital music to be
abolished.
B. This is a change of tack for Apple. It has come under fire from European
regulators who claim that its refusal to license FairPlay to other firms has
“locked in” customers. Since music from the iTunes store cannot be played on
non-iPod music-players (at least not without a lot of fiddling), any iTunes
buyer will be deterred from switching to a device made by a rival firm, such as
Sony or Microsoft. When French lawmakers drafted a bill last year compelling
Apple to open up FairPlay to rivals, the company warned of “state-sponsored
piracy”. Only DRM, it implied, could keep the pirates at bay.
C. This week Mr. Jobs gave another explanation for his former defence of DRM:
the record companies made him do it. They would make their music available to
the iTunes store only if Apple agreed to protect it using DRM. They can still
withdraw their catalogues if the DRM system is compromised. Apple cannot license
FairPlay to others, says Mr Jobs, because it would depend on them to produce
security fixes promptly. All DRM does is restrict consumer choice and provide a
barrier to entry, says Mr Jobs; without it there would be far more stores and
players, and far more innovation. So, he suggests, why not do away with DRM and
sell music unprotected? “This is clearly the best alternative for consumers,” he
declares, “and Apple would embrace it in a heartbeat.”
D. Why the sudden change of heart? Mr Jobs seems chiefly concerned with
getting Europe’s regulators off his back. Rather than complaining to Apple about
its use of DRM, he suggests, “those unhappy with the current situation should
redirect their energies towards persuading the music companies to sell their
music DRM-free.” Two and a half of the four big record companies, he helpfully
points out, are European-owned. Mr Jobs also hopes to paint himself as a
consumer champion. Apple resents accusations that it has become the Microsoft of
digital music.
E. Apple can afford to embrace open competition in music players and online
stores. Consumers would gravitate to the best player and the best store, and at
the moment that still means Apple’s. Mr Jobs is evidently unfazed by rivals to
the iPod. Since only 3% of the music in a typical iTunes library is protected,
most of it can already be used on other players today, he notes. (And even the
protected tracks can be burned onto a CD and then re-ripped.) So Apple’s
dominance evidently depends far more on branding and ease of use than
DRM-related “lock in”.
F. The music giants are trying DRM-free downloads. Lots of smaller labels
already sell music that way. Having seen which way the wind is blowing, Mr Jobs
now wants to be seen not as DRM’s defender, but as a consumer champion who
helped in its downfall. Wouldn’t it lead to a surge in piracy? No, because most
music is still sold unprotected on CDs, people wishing to steal music already
can do so. Indeed, scrapping DRM would probably increase online-music sales by
reducing confusion and incompatibility. With the leading online store, Apple
would benefit most. Mr Jobs’s argument, in short, is transparently self-serving.
It also happens to be right.
Notes to Reading Passage 1
1. low-key:
抑制的，受约束的，屈服的
2. showman:
开展览会的人, 出风头的人物
3. unassuming:
谦逊的, 不夸耀的, 不装腔作势的
4. iPod：
(苹果公司出产的)音乐播放器
5. iTunes store：
(苹果公司出产的)在线音乐商店
6. get off person’s back:
不再找某人的麻烦，摆脱某人的纠缠
7. gravitate:
受吸引，倾向于
8. unfazed:
不再担忧，不被打扰
Questions 1-7
Do the following statemets reflect the claims of the writer in Reading
Passage 1?
Write your answer in Boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.
TRUE if the statement reflets the claims of the writer
FALSE if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossbile to say what the writer thinks about this
1. Apple enjoys a controlling position in digital music market with its iPod
music-player and iTunes music-store.
2. DRM is a government decree issued with a purpose to protect downloaded
music from theft by consumers.
3. Lack of standardization in DRM makes songs bought for one kind of music
player may not function on another.
4. Apple has been criticized by European regulators since it has refused to
grant a license FairPlay to other firms.
5. All music can be easily played on non-iPod music devices from Sony or
Microsoft without too much fiddling.
6. Apple depends far more on DRM rather than branding for its dominance of
the digital music devices.
7. If DRM was cancelled, Sony would certainly dominate the international
digital music market.
Questions 8-10
Choose the appropriate letters A-D and write them in boxes 8-10 on your answe
sheet.
8. Which of the following statements about Mr. Jobs’ idea of DRM is NOT
TRUE?
A. DRM places restrictions on consumer’ choice of digital music products
available.
B. DRM comples iTunes buyers to switch to a device made by Sony or
Microsoft.
C. DRM constitutes a barrier for potential consumers to enter digital music
markets.
D. DRM hinders development of more stores and players and technical
innovation.
9. The word “unfazed” in line 3 of paragraph E, means___________.
A. refused
B. welcomed
C. not bothered
D. not well received
10. Which of the following statements is TRUE if DRM was scapped?
A. Sony would gain the most profit.
B. More customers would be “locked in”.
C. A sudden increase in piracy would occur.
D. Online-music sales would probably decrease.
Questions 11-14
Complete the notes below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from Reading Passage 1 for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 11-14 on your answer sheet.
Mr. Steve Jobs, the boss of Apple, explains the reason why he used to defend
DRM, saying that the company was forced to do so: the record companies would
make their music accessible to …11...only if they agreed to protect it using
DRM; they can still…12…if the DRM system is compromised. He also provides the
reason why Apple did not license FairPlay to others: the company relies on them
to …13….But now he changes his mind with a possible expectation that Europe’s
regulators would not trouble him any more in the future. He proposes that those
who are unsatisfactory with the current situation in digital music market should
…14… towards persuade the music companies to sell their music DRM-free.
Felicity Lawrence
Thursday December 28, 2006
The Guardian
1. Consumers are to be presented with two rival new year advertising
campaigns as the Food Standards Agency goes public in its battle with the
industry over the labelling of unhealthy foods.
2. The Guardian has learned that the FSA will launch a series of 10-second
television adverts in January telling shoppers how to follow a red, amber and
green traffic light labelling system on the front of food packs, which is
designed to tackle Britain’s obesity epidemic.
3. The campaign is a direct response to a concerted attempt by leading food
manufacturers and retailers, including Kellogg’s and Tesco, to derail the
system. The industry fears that traffic lights would demonise entire categories
of foods and could seriously damage the market for those that are fatty, salty
or high in sugar.
4. The UK market for breakfast cereals is worth ￡1.27bn a year and the
manufacturers fear it will be severely dented if red light labels are put on
packaging drawing attention to the fact that the majority are high in salt
and/or sugar.
5. The industry is planning a major marketing campaign for a competing
labelling system which avoids colour-coding in favour of information about the
percentage of "guideline daily amounts" (GDAs) of fat, salt and sugar contained
in their products.
6. The battle for the nation’s diet comes as new rules on television
advertising come into force in January which will bar adverts for unhealthy
foods from commercial breaks during programmes aimed at children. Sources at the
TV regulators are braced for a legal challenge from the industry and have
described the lobbying efforts to block any new ad ban or colour-coded labelling
as "the most ferocious we’ve ever experienced".
7. Ofcom’s chief executive, Ed Richards, said: "We are prepared to face up to
any legal action from the industry, but we very much hope it will not be
necessary." The FSA said it was expecting an onslaught from the industry in
January. Senior FSA officials said the manufacturers’ efforts to undermine its
proposals on labelling could threaten the agency’s credibility.
8. Terrence Collis, FSA director of communications, dismissed claims that the
proposals were not based on science. "We have some of the most respected
scientists in Europe, both within the FSA and in our independent advisory
committees. It is unjustified and nonsensical to attack the FSA’s scientific
reputation and to try to undermine its credibility."
9. The FSA is understood to have briefed its ad agency, United, before
Christmas, and will aim to air ads that are "non-confrontational, humorous and
factual" as a counterweight to industry’s efforts about the same time. The
agency, however, will have a tiny fraction of the budget available to the
industry.
10. Gavin Neath, chairman of Unilever UK and president of the Food and Drink
Federation, has said that the industry has made enormous progress but could not
accept red "stop" signs on its food.
11. Alastair Sykes, chief executive of Nestlé UK, said that under the FSA
proposals all his company’s confectionery and most of its cereals would score a
red. "Are we saying people shouldn’t eat confectionery? We’re driven by
consumers and what they want, and much of what we do has been to make our
products healthier," he said.
12. Chris Wermann, director of communications at Kellogg’s, said: "In
principle we could never accept traffic light labelling."
13. The rival labelling scheme introduced by Kellogg’s, Danone, Unilever,
Nestlé, Kraft and Tesco and now favoured by 21 manufacturers, uses an
industry-devised system based on identifying GDAs of key nutrients. Tesco says
it has tested both traffic lights and GDA labels in its stores and that the
latter increased sales of healthier foods.
14. But the FSA said it could not live with this GDA system alone because it
was "not scientific" or easy for shoppers to understand at a glance.
Questions 1-6
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage
for each answer.
1. When will instructions be given on reading the color-coded labels?
2. Where can customers find the red light labels?
3. What problem is the FSA trying to handle with the labeling system?
4. Which product sells well but may not be healthy?
5. What information, according to the manufacturers, can be labeled on
products?
6. What can not be advertised during children’s programmes?
Questions 7-13
Use the information in the text to match the people (listed A-E) with the
opinions (listed 7-13) below. Write the appropriate letter (A-E) for questions
1-7.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
A Ed Richard
B Terrence Collis
C Gavin Neath
D Alastair Sykes
E Chris Wermann
7. Generally we will not agree to use the red light labels.
8. It is unreasonable to doubt if FSA is trustworthy.
9. We are trying to meet our consumers’ needs.
10. The food industry has been improving greatly.
11. The color-coded labeling system is scientific.
12. Our products will be labeled unhealthy by the FSA.
13. We are ready to confront the manufacturers.
