Who is Farhan Lalji?

I’m pretty sure at some point in time I’ll switch to an iPhone, whether it happens in November – when the first ones come to this side of the Atlantic – or next year, or the year after remains to be seen.

In February of this year Steve Jobs wrote a pretty scathing commentary on DRM (Digital Rights Management, as defined by Wikipedia “Technologies intended to give content providers control over redistribution and access to material.”) on music. He basically said if people pay for the music it should be there’s to do with as they please.

This week, Apple has said that if you have an unlocked phone, the next release of iTunes, will make your phone inoperable. Plus they’re going to void warrantees on phones that have been modified (read: unlocked). I don’t know how the lock will work here in the UK, as I think it might be illegal to do this on this side of the pond – if anyone knows more about the legality of locked/unlocked phones in the UK, please let me know how this might work here!

Jeff Nolan over at Venture Chronicles says that Apple will be launching unlocked iPhones here in the UK – which, if true, means I can buy one and then use it on my existing networks - but I’m not sure how this will work with the newest software releases of iTunes.

Nolan also says that the DRM issue and the phone issues have Apple playing double standards. It’s not okay for the music industry to lock down users, but its okay for Apple to do so. Or at least that’s what Apple would have us believe. He doesn’t go as far as calling Jobbo a hypocrite – but I will. DRM sucks. Locked phones suck. And as long as Jobs is peddling/pimping DRM and locked phones in my books he’s a hypocrite.

I won’t pretend to know more then Steve Jobs, the guy is a genius, but I do believe the user is always right. So if people are unlocking phones – release unlocked phones. If people are downloading DRM free materials, release DRM free materials. And don’t give me this trash about the music labels wanting DRM, twist their arms and they’ll do it.

I’d be surprised if the bottom line suffered as a result of these actions. My hunch is it would look a lot better.