Warner Boss Mea Culpa: P2P Problems Industry's Fault

Warner Music’s boss has admitted he missed the Internet zeitgeist, even claiming some responsibility for the rise of online file sharing. “By standing still or moving at a glacial pace,” said Edgar Bronfman, “we inadvertently went to war with consumers.” The change of heart amounts to an “epiphany,” says MacUser’s Simon Aughton, as Warner has begun to offer some music without controversial DRM code protecting it.

Bronfman’s also gone from threatening an iTunes pullout to lavishing praise on Apple—today calling the company’s products “brilliant,” “beautiful” and “spectacular.” He says the industry was wrong to think it “would remain blissfully unaffected” as web use expanded. And he expressed pride in Warner’s iTunes packages, which went beyond mere albums, bundling ringtones, videos and more for premium costs. (More Apple stories.)