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SellingDigitalMusicwithoutCopy-protectionMakesSense
A. Itwasuncharacteristicallylow-keyfortheindustry’sgreatestshowman.ButtheessaypublishedthisweekbySteveJobs,thebossofApple,onhisfirm’swebsiteundertheunassumingtitle“ThoughtsonMusic”hasnonethelessprovokedavigorousdebateaboutthefutureofdigitalmusic,whichAppledominateswithitsiPodmusic-playerandiTunesmusic-store.Atissueis“digitalrightsmanagement”(DRM)—thetechnologyguardingdownloadedmusicagainsttheft.SincethereisnocommonstandardforDRM,italsohastheside-effectthatsongspurchasedforonetypeofmusic-playermaynotworkonanother.Apple’sDRMsystem,calledFairPlay,isthemostwidespread.SoitcameasasurprisewhenMr.JobscalledforDRMfordigitalmusictobeabolished.
B. ThisisachangeoftackforApple.IthascomeunderfirefromEuropeanregulatorswhoclaimthatitsrefusaltolicenseFairPlaytootherfirmshas“lockedin”customers.SincemusicfromtheiTunesstorecannotbeplayedonnon-iPodmusic-players(atleastnotwithoutalotoffiddling),anyiTunesbuyerwillbedeterredfromswitchingtoadevicemadebyarivalfirm,suchasSonyorMicrosoft.WhenFrenchlawmakersdraftedabilllastyearcompellingAppletoopenupFairPlaytorivals,thecompanywarnedof“state-sponsoredpiracy”.OnlyDRM,itimplied,couldkeepthepiratesatbay.
C. ThisweekMr.JobsgaveanotherexplanationforhisformerdefenceofDRM:therecordcompaniesmadehimdoit.TheywouldmaketheirmusicavailabletotheiTunesstoreonlyifAppleagreedtoprotectitusingDRM.TheycanstillwithdrawtheircataloguesiftheDRMsystemiscompromised.ApplecannotlicenseFairPlaytoothers,saysMrJobs,becauseitwoulddependonthemtoproducesecurityfixespromptly.AllDRMdoesisrestrictconsumerchoiceandprovideabarriertoentry,saysMrJobs;withoutittherewouldbefarmorestoresandplayers,andfarmoreinnovation.So,hesuggests,whynotdoawaywithDRMandsellmusicunprotected?“Thisisclearlythebestalternativeforconsumers,”hedeclares,“andApplewouldembraceitinaheartbeat.”
D. Whythesuddenchangeofheart?MrJobsseemschieflyconcernedwithgettingEurope’sregulatorsoffhisback.RatherthancomplainingtoAppleaboutitsuseofDRM,hesuggests,“thoseunhappywiththecurrentsituationshouldredirecttheirenergiestowardspersuadingthemusiccompaniestoselltheirmusicDRM-free.”Twoandahalfofthefourbigrecordcompanies,hehelpfullypointsout,areEuropean-owned.MrJobsalsohopestopainthimselfasaconsumerchampion.AppleresentsaccusationsthatithasbecometheMicrosoftofdigitalmusic.
E. Applecanaffordtoembraceopencompetitioninmusicplayersandonlinestores.Consumerswouldgravitatetothebestplayerandthebeststore,andatthemomentthatstillmeansApple’s.MrJobsisevidentlyunfazedbyrivalstotheiPod.Sinceonly3%ofthemusicinatypicaliTuneslibraryisprotected,mostofitcanalreadybeusedonotherplayerstoday,henotes.(AndeventheprotectedtrackscanbeburnedontoaCDandthenre-ripped.)SoApple’sdominanceevidentlydependsfarmoreonbrandingandeaseofusethanDRM-related“lockin”.
F. ThemusicgiantsaretryingDRM-freedownloads.Lotsofsmallerlabelsalreadysellmusicthatway.Havingseenwhichwaythewindisblowing,MrJobsnowwantstobeseennotasDRM’sdefender,butasaconsumerchampionwhohelpedinitsdownfall.Wouldn’titleadtoasurgeinpiracy?No,becausemostmusicisstillsoldunprotectedonCDs,peoplewishingtostealmusicalreadycandoso.Indeed,scrappingDRMwouldprobablyincreaseonline-musicsalesbyreducingconfusionandincompatibility.Withtheleadingonlinestore,Applewouldbenefitmost.MrJobs’sargument,inshort,istransparentlyself-serving.Italsohappenstoberight.
NotestoReadingPassage1
1.low-key:
抑制的，受約束的，屈服的
2.showman:
開展覽會的人,出風頭的人物
3.unassuming:
謙遜的,不夸耀的,不裝腔作勢的
4.iPod：
(蘋果公司出產的)音樂播放器
5.iTunesstore：
(蘋果公司出產的)在線音樂商店
6.getoffperson’sback:
不再找某人的麻煩，擺脫某人的糾纏
7.gravitate:
受吸引，傾向于
8.unfazed:
不再擔憂，不被打擾
Questions1-7
DothefollowingstatemetsreflecttheclaimsofthewriterinReadingPassage1?
WriteyouranswerinBoxes1-7onyouranswersheet.
TRUEifthestatementrefletstheclaimsofthewriter
FALSEifthestatementcontradictstheclaimsofthewriter
NOTGIVENifitisimpossbiletosaywhatthewriterthinksaboutthis
1.AppleenjoysacontrollingpositionindigitalmusicmarketwithitsiPodmusic-playerandiTunesmusic-store.
2.DRMisagovernmentdecreeissuedwithapurposetoprotectdownloadedmusicfromtheftbyconsumers.
3.LackofstandardizationinDRMmakessongsboughtforonekindofmusicplayermaynotfunctiononanother.
4.ApplehasbeencriticizedbyEuropeanregulatorssinceithasrefusedtograntalicenseFairPlaytootherfirms.
5.Allmusiccanbeeasilyplayedonnon-iPodmusicdevicesfromSonyorMicrosoftwithouttoomuchfiddling.
6.AppledependsfarmoreonDRMratherthanbrandingforitsdominanceofthedigitalmusicdevices.
7.IfDRMwascancelled,Sonywouldcertainlydominatetheinternationaldigitalmusicmarket.
Questions8-10
ChoosetheappropriatelettersA-Dandwritetheminboxes8-10onyouranswesheet.
8.WhichofthefollowingstatementsaboutMr.Jobs’ideaofDRMisNOTTRUE?
A.DRMplacesrestrictionsonconsumer’choiceofdigitalmusicproductsavailable.
B.DRMcomplesiTunesbuyerstoswitchtoadevicemadebySonyorMicrosoft.
C.DRMconstitutesabarrierforpotentialconsumerstoenterdigitalmusicmarkets.
D.DRMhindersdevelopmentofmorestoresandplayersandtechnicalinnovation.
9.Theword“unfazed”inline3ofparagraphE,means___________.
A.refused
B.welcomed
C.notbothered
D.notwellreceived
10.WhichofthefollowingstatementsisTRUEifDRMwasscapped?
A.Sonywouldgainthemostprofit.
B.Morecustomerswouldbe“lockedin”.
C.Asuddenincreaseinpiracywouldoccur.
D.Online-musicsaleswouldprobablydecrease.
Questions11-14
Completethenotesbelow.
ChooseNOMORETHANTHREEWORDSfromReadingPassage1foreachanswer.
Writeyouranswersinboxes11-14onyouranswersheet.
Mr.SteveJobs,thebossofApple,explainsthereasonwhyheusedtodefendDRM,sayingthatthecompanywasforcedtodoso:therecordcompanieswouldmaketheirmusicaccessibleto…11...onlyiftheyagreedtoprotectitusingDRM;theycanstill…12…iftheDRMsystemiscompromised.HealsoprovidesthereasonwhyAppledidnotlicenseFairPlaytoothers:thecompanyreliesonthemto…13….ButnowhechangeshismindwithapossibleexpectationthatEurope’sregulatorswouldnottroublehimanymoreinthefuture.Heproposesthatthosewhoareunsatisfactorywiththecurrentsituationindigitalmusicmarketshould…14…towardspersuadethemusiccompaniestoselltheirmusicDRM-free.
