Baseball and DRM

How many of you have always wanted to know what 463 stands for, but were afraid to ask?  (Or perhaps you really just didn't care).

It's a baseball play -- specifically, a 4-6-3 double-play (or, second base to shortstop to first base double play.)  The idea is that we are a communications consultancy that brings the double play of both technology and policy knowledge.

Anyway, the long-winded preamble is only a set-up to explain that today all of 463 and about 25 of our friends will be celebrating the national holiday of baseball's Opening Day in Washington, DC.

it also means that I can't spend the time to write what I really think about the, frankly, historic moment that is the EMI DRM-free announcement with Apple today.  Engadget has a transcript of the press conference and there is a ton of commentary on Techmeme.

But three quick takes:

1) I, and many others, were wrong about Apple's sincerity to get a deal like this done, this quickly.
2) The main reason why I doubted is that Apple could have always done the same thing for many, many independent labels much sooner.  Let's hope that they let them in the boat now that the first big fish has been caught.
3) I may even wait to buy the DRM-free version of the excellent, new LCD Soundsystem album

In the meantime, Play Ball!