(This is essentially a re-hash of a topic I started in the Macintosh forum, which I hope might get more discussion here.)

An example of how Apple is handling DRM is shown by how audible.com (a downloadable audio book service) is tied into iTunes.

- For a monthly fee (US$14.95 for the Basic Listener) you get one free audio book and one month's worth of content for one subscription. You create a login and password at audible's site.

- When you set up iTunes, you enter your audible login/password into your player settings.

- Then you download your content, open it in iTunes, iTunes checks to see if your account settings match and then accepts the content.



So far, so good. But here's what I like:

- You can transfer the content to your iPod or burn it to audio CDs.
- The file format (AAC) keeps track of where you stopped reading and this information is passed between iTunes and the iPod so you can pick up directly where you left off.
- You can use this content on up to three Macs at once.
- Your content is saved in an online library so you can download it as many times as you want. (For example, you accidentally wiped the file.) Your personal library stays available for the duration of your audible account.

So we have rights management (account validation), added value (bookmarks) and time/space shifting (burn it to CDs, sync to iPod, listen on iTunes). All in all, it looks like a win/win for both sides.

Now, that being said, I've been following some discussions on other sites and some folks are saying that Apple, being the minority player, will inevitably cave in to market pressure from Intel, Microsoft and AMD who are building much more restrictive DRM into their products. ("Sorry, you can't play the new Britney CD on your Mac") Apple, so far, has officially declined to comment on DRM.

So the topics up for discussion:

- Is the audible model a good one to look at for DRM?
- Is Apple fighting an unwinnable battle?