Apple iPhone Sales In Trouble Thanks To AT&T

The RIAA and MPAA mafiosi are at it again, this time teaming up with AT&T to put a pall on the iPhone excitement by introducing spy applications onto your new toy (and onto your computer as part of the same deal). I in no way think Apple was behind this part of the iPhone deal, however; it bears a mention. As badly as I want an iPhone, and as badly as the rest of the Appleverse wants one, I can't believe there isn't more buzz in the blogosphere about the little AT&T program designed to catch music piracy, which will include the iPhones and their users.

AT&T marks the first of the big Telcos to join forces with the RIAA and MPAA to clear the internet of pirated content. AT&T makes claims that this technology they are developing will only target the most egregious offenders, however; it is a huge leap of trust that I just can't see my way clear to make on their behalf. Why don't I trust them? They were the company that released private user phone data to the governement not so long ago, and that agreed to allow the government to spy on users' calls.

"The risk AT&T faces is fighting the last war by spending money and energy plugging an old hole in the wall when new ones are breaking out," said Fred von Lohmann, a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Freedom Foundation. The San Francisco digital-rights organization has sued AT&T, alleging it illegally released customers' phone data to the federal government.

Will I still buy an iPhone? Perhaps. But also there is a chance that I might not, now. I'm a big proponent of privacy, and of being able to support local artists and indie film makers, and I see this as another way for the RIAA and MPAA to hamper that. I was more excited when the deal was first announced last year under the auspices of Cingular, the company I used for my wireless carrier and a company I trusted. Now that Cingular has become "The New AT&T", I have less enthusiasm for the deal. I hope Apple knows what it has gotten itself into - this deal with AT&T, known for shady tactics and consumer abuses, could backfire and erase decades of good will Apple has developed with its customers.

"AT&T is going to act like the copyright police, and that is going to make customers angry," she said. "The good news for AT&T is that there's so little competition that where else are the customers going to go?"

Meanwhile, even in the face of AT&T's willingness to cooperate with thugs of all types (thug presidents, thug government agencies and now thug businesses), another Telco behemoth has been taking stand after stand against invasions of privacy. that company would be surprise privacy advocate Verizon, another industry heavy hitter. Too bad Apple didn't see the writing on the wall and make their exclusive deal with them - I'd be all over that one even to the point of switching cell phone carriers.

Verizon Communications Inc., which has fiercely guarded the privacy of its customers, has refused so far to offer a network anti-piracy tool. It defeated in court the recording industry's demands to reveal names of those allegedly involved in downloading pirated songs.

I've been asked me how exactly this would be a problem for people, and I have had to explain to that most of us keep our music on iTunes and in an iPod. The iPhone also contains iTunes and an iPod and will sync with your computer's iTunes, just like your existing iPod. So even if you don't use AT&T for internet, if you are a music pirate, your music could end up on your iPhone, accessible by AT&T in their piracy sweeps.

But what if you don't put stolen music on the iPhone? It's always possible to make a mistake and allow a stolen tune to slip through on a playlist, all it takes is one careless sync. But what if you don't steal music (or maybe you used to, and you have a couple of files from years and years ago, but you haven't in ages)? My worry here is that people like me, who either don't steal music at all or who stopped snagging free music long ago, but who do support unsigned bands and little known artists by swapping files with other music lovers, will get culled in a sweep simply because the files aren't on the RIAA radar. I' need to see significant proof that the RIAA and AT&T can and will tell the difference between unknown music files like those, or between "Hey Joe, check out this song" swaps that lead to sale, and so far I don't see the RIAA enforcers as capable of telling these swaps apart from actual piracy.

Proceed with caution Apple Fanz, proceed with caution.

Source, Source, Source, Source