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Crossplatform iTunes Sharing and Trading

An anonymous reader writes "As reported on Cnet and others, an open source java iTunes client named ourTunes has been released under the GPL by a group of anonymous hackers. Unlike the Apple iTunes for Windows and Mac, ourTunes allows a user to queue up and save to disk the music shared by other users. Recent court rulings have held that developers of p2p file sharing software cannot be held liable for 'for any copyright infringement committed by people using their products.'"

6 of 338 comments (clear)

  1. Not a huge stretch by ViolentGreen · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Since Rendevous requires the machines to be on the same network, this sounds like it is just beating around the regular local network file sharing. I wouldn't think there would be too many legal issues involved here unless someone magically manages to get this working over the internet.

    --
    Not everything is analogous to cars. Car analogies rarely work.
  2. Holy Crap, What a Biased Story! by the+pickle · · Score: 5, Insightful
    P2PNet's story contains the following quote:

    In the meanwhile, even bad news is good news for Apple.

    Yesterday it announced it's recalling close to 30,000 very dodgy batteries - an internal short can cause the cells to overheat "posing a fire hazard to consumers". It says "no injuries have been reported".

    Any other manufacturer would have been hung, drawn and quartered and shock-horror headlines would have been everywhere.

    But it's Apple. So that's OK.


    Wow. Talk about demonising the wrong entity here. The DMCA isn't Apple's fault. Apple just did what they had to in order to keep the labels from shutting down the iTMS entirely. If you hate the DMCA, say so, but don't blame Apple for it. Apple != Congress.

    This article has pretty much convinced me that the folks running p2pnet are only concerned about piracy -- as in committing it -- rather than having an intelligent discussion about the real issues here.

    p
  3. I'm all for free music and everything... by RaisinBread · · Score: 5, Insightful

    But this whole I-want-Apple-to-do-it-my-way thing is really confusing to me.

    You can cry if you want to share or download your tunes in a different way. You can complain about the evil DRM software Apple uses in its proprietary format. You can moan about lack of options and the iTMS/iPod lock-down.

    I just don't understand why everyone clicks the "Yes" on the user agreement. If you want it to work a different way, don't support it.

    Seems like all these 'benevolent' iTMS hacks, reverse engineers and DRM stripping apps are getting held up in some sort of martyr-like light.

    Aren't these things a violation of the agreement they made when they decided to use the software and download songs?

    ??

  4. Re:For a second... by AKAImBatman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    When you could release a program as shareware and actualy have people register rather then crack it.

    Pfff! As if that ever existed! I remember friends swapping floppies of registered shareware back before PCs even had modems! Of course, I was pretty naive. I would ask, "Isn't that wrong?" and get the response, "It's no biggie, we're just sharing with friends!"

    With that firmly ingrained in our heads, this proved even back then that any business model that involved easily reproduced goods should be careful to take their reproduction into account. i.e. Make it easier for people to pay for stuff than steal it, and try to target markets that actually have money to spend!

    The RIAA failed when they tried to stop MP3s instead of being the originators of an online MP3 service. Now iTunes is saving their butts by picking up the remaining pieces of what would have been complete destruction for the music industry.

  5. Re:For a second... by aborchers · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I'm only guided by the first 10 amendments, and the constitution proper.


    Um. Would that be the same Constitution that authorizes the congress and the states to enact laws?

    Wrapping yourself in the Bill of Rights may look clever to your libertine friends, but it's a piss-poor and disingenuous way to rationalize your unauthorized use of other people's work.

    If you have to pick a document to bolster your self-centered worldview, may I suggest something by LaVey or Crowley?

    --
    Trouble making decisions? Just flip for it.
  6. Competing with free... by argent · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Please tell me how ANY business model can compete with FREE distribution.

    Oxygen bars, bottled water, tanning salons, parking stations...

    Quality, convenience, features, gimmicks, ...