Apple and DRM, Take Two

In the last couple days, I’ve read several reports of people discovering embedded user data in the new DRM-free versions of music on iTunes.

While I’m not suprised, having embedded user data within these files is essentially a form of Digital Rights Management, which at the very least points to false advertising by Apple regarding these new music files. I’m quite certain that a utility will exist shortly to strip it out, should people want to, but Apple is being very guarded about these files and exactly just how DRM-free they really are.

I personally have no problem with my user data being embedded, since as long as I transfer these files between equipment I personally own, nobody will ever see that data but me. But, Apple needs to make this clearer either through their advertising campaign, or in the end-user license agreement (near the top, not the bottom).