• Business Week, Friday, January 5, 2007 10:45 AM

Big media has gone to great lengths to keep consumers and Web publishers from violating their copyrights, but now a small group of individuals is attempting to turn the tables.

One San Diego resident is suing Apple Computer for unfairly restricting how iTunes customers can use legally purchased music. The iPod maker uses digital rights management software to restrict iTunes songs from playing on other media players (and visa-versa).

The plaintiff argues that the company is behaving like an over-aggressive monopoly. A separate lawsuit filed by an Arizona resident against several major record labels also contends that use of DRM to prevent music from being sold by a variety of retailers violates antitrust law. Both suits seek compensation for music download customers, as well as a change in the restrictions.

Apple and the record labels have long argued that DRM is necessary to combat piracy and ensure that artists are properly compensated. Consumers have either had to begrudgingly accept this or turn to illegal downloading, which they can do just as easily as signing up for an online music service.

"I can't think of another product that is actually worth more stolen than if you purchased it," says industry analyst Rob Enderle. For its part, the Recording Industry Association of America, which represents music's major players, says interoperability is the industry's focus for the future.

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