It strikes me as very strategic for a few reasons.
1. As pointed out below, Google and Amazon are likely to pick this fight. I would imagine Apple is more then happy to let those two companies spend the blood, sweat, tears and dollars on what will surely be a lengthy legal fight.
2. With the labels opening a deal, they'll feel more inclined to shutdown/stop Amazon/Google pressing their need to move legally in return.
3. While all this is happening, especially if injunctive relief is given to the labels, Apple has the legal solution in the U.S.
4. They continue to sell silly amounts of content and done right the process of shopping by my iPhone now becomes building a playlist, that can sync later to physical files in my iTunes, if at all. Or a subscription stream model, where again just putting together a list from the largest online retailer of music.
1. As pointed out below, Google and Amazon are likely to pick this fight. I would imagine Apple is more then happy to let those two companies spend the blood, sweat, tears and dollars on what will surely be a lengthy legal fight.
2. With the labels opening a deal, they'll feel more inclined to shutdown/stop Amazon/Google pressing their need to move legally in return.
3. While all this is happening, especially if injunctive relief is given to the labels, Apple has the legal solution in the U.S.
4. They continue to sell silly amounts of content and done right the process of shopping by my iPhone now becomes building a playlist, that can sync later to physical files in my iTunes, if at all. Or a subscription stream model, where again just putting together a list from the largest online retailer of music.