Yahoo! announced the other day that they would offer MP3s unencumbered by DRM (digital rights management) technology.

Everyone together now: WHAT TOOK SO #@!$@ LONG?

Sure, they’re only offering one measly song, and it’s Jessica Simpson, no less. Not exactly my style of music, but hey, it’s a start. It’s been said many times that the entertainment industry will ultimately lose the war over digital copyright law because they “can’t compete with free”. The assertion is that if they can’t retain control of their intellectual property, nothing else matters.

What a load of crap.

Even today, years after its original inception, MP3 is one of the most powerful technologies on the Internet. Wrapping an MP3 in DRM is a lot like making a Ferrari capable of going 500 miles per hour and getting 100 miles per gallon, and then fitting it with square wheels made of concrete. Oh, and you can only drive it down certain roads. And on some models of the car, you have to keep paying a monthly fee, or the engine won’t start. And, if you get caught letting anyone else drive it, you could be fined up to $250,000. Oh, yeah, and if you get tired of the car, and you want to make a switch, don’t even try to sell it. It doesn’t really belong to you, see… Ferrari still owns it, even though you paid for it.

Ridiculous, right? Why doesn’t the recording industry see that even without the terrible press they’ve been getting for the past few years, they can’t possibly hope to compete with illegal MP3 downloads. How do they expect to compete with a product that is both more valuable (since it doesn’t have DRM restrictions) and costs less?

The answer: lawsuits. Lots, and lots, and lots of lawsuits. I’ll tell you what, RIAA. Let’s make a deal. You give me half the money you have earmarked for legal action against music fans, and I’ll come up with a solution for you. Better yet, give it to the artists that work for you, or use it to promote their music. Even better, use it to find bands that have real talent, that aren’t just marketable Ken and Barbie dolls, and turn us into their fans.

After all, isn’t that your job — promotion? Or is it just to bite the hand that feeds?