Warner Inks MP3 Deal With Amazon – Bronfman Jr. Now Officially A Flip-Flopper
Warner Music Group has announced an exclusive deal with Amazon to offer non-DRM (Digital Rights Management) MP3 files through the behemoth shopping service. Warner was the the solitary DRM-free holdout among the majors who declined to participate in offering MP3 tracks with no copy-protection software attached.
Warner’s digital audio catalog are now available for purchase at Amazon.com, almost in time for the holiday season.
The deal showcases how CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. is continually two steps behind the music industry. Not long ago, Bronfman Jr. gave Apple’s Steve Jobs a public tongue lashing after he came out with his non-DRM manifesto. Bronfman has been adamantly against the removal of digital copy protection, but has now flip-flopped with the announcement of this deal.
Warner Music Group’s labels include Atlantic, Bad Boy, Elektra, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Sire and Warner Bros. The company’s stock price has taken a beating in 2007, thanks mostly to Bronfman’s mismanagement, hovering around $6 from a high of $23.93 at the beginning of the year.
