[johnmw]

So what is it to 'protect ones brand'?

I would suggest that one of the most important ways to protect your brand is not to be evil. I believe Microsoft failed at this (it is why I switched away from using their products). Apple is now currently failing here at an even greater degree (I currently own a Macbook and an iPhone, but I believe these will be my last Apple products).

It is one thing for a company to want the best experience for its users. But blocking musicians from their fans is not the way to go about this, no matter how small the musician or fan. You can still have a great store for the general populace, and still allow everyone else to access and share the data they want.

The data must flow.