DRM-Free Music Spells Trouble?

digitaldame2 writes "Many opponents of DRM have been overjoyed at recent efforts to free media from its grip. But PC Mag Editor-in-Chief Lance Ulanoff believes the whole world has gone mad. His view is that our digital economy will collapse this way, and it could be followed by countless others. 'The music industry's moves have been terrified reactions to staunch the bleeding of millions of dollars in revenue down the drain. For maybe a year, music companies thought they had the situation under control, but then album sales tumbled. Retailers, musicians, and some music-industry execs thought DRM was the culprit, and they soon joined the chorus of consumers calling for its head. Now consumers are getting their wish, and the music industry will continue to crumble. Giving up control of content and giving it away free are not rational ideas in a market economy, yet everyone's cheering.'" Is the removal of restrictions from our media really that big a deal?

Comments

The economy won't collapse.

[Charcharodon]

Here is a perfect geek example as too why it won't collapse.

How much money did George Lucas make off of the Star Wars films directly in comparison to how much he made off of merchandicing and licensing?

I suspect that other than the intial ticket sales money off of the first film, that the grand bulk of it did not come from direct sales of tickets or media copies of the movies.