Digital Rights Management, or DRM, is designed to prevent unauthorized sharing of files. This especially became a big concern for the music industry after the rise of Napster, Limewire, and Kazaa.
DRM, even the DRM used by Apple on iTunes Store content, prevented that. Apple's DRM allowed users to share files on only up to 5 computers.
Now, though, iTunes Plus has removed DRM from music bought at the iTunes Store. So, does this mean that you can start putting iTunes plus music onto peer-to-peer systems like limewire?
Sure, you can. But you shouldn't.
Not only is sharing music that way still illegal, but there are some things in iTunes Plus files that will make it possible for record companies to find out that you were the person illegally sharing the song.
According to TUAW, the new iTunes Plus songs have information embedded in them that identifies the user who bought and shared them by name.
This means that if you share your music and record companies want to track you down and sue for you copyright infringement, it's going to be easy.
So, you may want to think twice, maybe three times, if you were thinking about swapping your iTunes Plus songs. You're making it easy to get caught.
