Amazon to offer DRM-free downloads?

Bring on the downloaders! Amazon may offer DRM-free music downloads sometime in the first quarter of 2007. Oh, if the tides would break and bring sweet water to the masses. How many times do us insignificant bloggers needs to spell it out for the record companies in big, bold, block letters? How many times does the RIAA need to lose legal cases miserably and be raked over the coals for their transgressions for the execs to stnad up and take notice that the CD business is going away and that America the world isn't happy with the way music is sold and distributed? Get the picture already. If Amazon decided to take the high-road in the end and offer DRM-free music in the end, and if the software sucks much less than Unbox does, there may finally be a way to buy good music that isn't shackled to a dead-horse. It isn't like eMusic hasn't already done it. They have now sold 100 million DRM-free tracks. More digital download services need to send a message that the record companies will be forced to hear. One twist Amazon may have in mind is variable pricing, so certain types of media can be sold for cheaper prices. This would also attract more customers to the download store. I still don't see a killer app here, so Elvis hasn't left the building, but I am hoping to see a killer app soon, maybe Amazon will be the one, maybe not. I dare you, impress me.

Tags: amazon, commercial, download, DRM, DRM-free, mp3, music, news, variable pricing, VariablePricing