KathyFP said:
I wonder if that then makes the monthly subsriptions a better deal, but then I heard once you stop the subscription you can't play the songs. I really don't understand. If you sync the player why would it stop working?
All of the new services focused their new patents and technology on copy protection. Every different service has different copy protections. For example, when you download a song, you may only be able to burn it to 2 CDs, and play it on a maximum of 2 computers. Every time you try to burn it to a CD, it will make a sort of notation in the song file-- when you get to the third CD, it will see that it's already been burned twice, and won't let you burn it a third time.
The way the subscription services work, is that they claim you (this is an example) can download as many songs as you want for one price a month (say, $10). The song files then have a notation that can be updated to make sure you are still subscribing. You are actually purchasing a license to play those songs you download-- you are NOT purchasing the songs. The license you purchase is to play the song for 30 days, and then if you want to keep playing the song, you have to keep the subscription up (buy another license) When you connect each month, you are essentially making a notation on the song file saying you kept up the license. If you don't want to pay anymore, you don't get to keep the music. Unless you download TONS and TONS of songs, and listen to them constantly, this will actually cost more in the longrun then buying CDs (which the music industry likes
)
MP3s through the music industry for a huge loop, and they all scrambled to find the best way to have electronic music available, while preventing people from sharing. I think the services are awfully confusing when you read all of the different license agreements (and I'm a lawyer)-- it's virtually impossible for a music consumer to understand what they are actually buying, when we are used to buying CDs and owning our music!!
