Apple unveils online music store, download songs for 99 cents

April 29, 2003

As expected Apple has launched their
online iTunes music store yesterday. There were many rumours that Apple
would lauch such a service but they always denied it. But now the rumours have
been confirmed and the online store will offer more than 200.000 songs, and
offers some exclusive material from artists such as Bob Dylan and U2:

Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs is hoping to create a new model
for online music, a business that so far has only been able to draw large
numbers of customers seeking free tunes on Napster and other renegade
file-swapping services. Napster grew quickly and peaked with about 60
million users but shut down in 2001 after losing a legal battle with the
recording industry.

"Consumers don't want to be treated like
criminals and artists don't want their valuable work stolen," said Mr.
Jobs.

The new service is integrated with Apple's
iTunes software. Only Apple customers can use it, but that may change. The
service requires a mouse click to buy songs and additional simple steps to
move them to a CD or an iPod. Users will get to keep the songs
permanently.

The article adds that music bought through Apple's service will be
protected so that it will be more difficult to use an iPod to transfer songs
from one computer to another. Users also won't be able to e-mail copies of their
purchases, or transfer them to the computers of
friends.

Source: Yahoo!Finance