So, Apple started selling some EMI tunes through iTunes without DRM, but with an additional $0.30 in the price, making DRM free songs $1.29 each. Apparently even though DRM is gone, in its place is meta data about who bought the song! So basically, if you pass your music on to your friends or put it on a file sharing network (or someone else takes one of your songs and puts it online) someone (The Feds!) would be able to track you down. It’s basically designed to scare you off from sharing music. Most people won’t even realize that they might be sharing a song that is “watermarked” since the data is hidden in the music file.

I find it ironic that Apple’s coming out TV ad for the Macintosh at the 1984 Super Bowl depicted Apple smashing Big Brother. My, how Apple has now become Orwellian themselves.