By Scott Martin<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:of... />

Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ manifesto urging record labels to lift digital rights management from music tracks was met Wednesday with a response from the Recording Industry Association of America.

But the RIAA didn’t exactly take him up on his proposal to abolish DRM.

“One way to achieve it was outlined by Steve Jobs in his post—for Apple to license its DRM to other technology companies,” RIAA CEO Mitch Bainwol said in a statement. “We think that's a great solution.”

Licensing Apple’s DRM, known as FairPlay, was one of three options Mr. Jobs outlined Tuesday on the company’s web site. It was not a workable situation though, according to his piece addressed to the industry called “Thoughts on Music.” The other options, he said, were to keep things as they are—or he said he would “wholeheartedly” embrace a change to DRM-free music.

- ADVERTISEMENT -

The unexpected open letter underscores the growing discord between the leading seller of digital music and the major studios.

Mr. Jobs’ missive was aimed at Universal, Sony BMG, Warner, and EMI, laying credit for the current state of affairs on the recording industry. He said the situation—proprietary systems from Apple, Microsoft, and Sony—has produced a system where songs bought on a store only work with that company’s player.

An alternative, licensing Apple’s FairPlay to others, Mr. Jobs said, was rife with problems in offering copyright protections. He said widespread partners on FairPlay would allow for leaks that could turn into Internet-distributed DRM cracks.

“Apple has concluded that if it licenses FairPlay to others, it can no longer guarantee to protect the music It licenses for the big four music companies,” Mr. Jobs said in his message.

The RIAA, however, expressed optimism that Apple could work that out. Mr. Bainwol said a company as “sophisticated and smart” as Apple should be able to work with the industry to make an interoperable marketplace.

Apple’s iTunes has sold over 2 billion songs since launch, a small fraction of all music sold.

Last month, Norwegian Consumer Ombudsman Bjørn Erik Thon ruled that iTunes violates the country’s consumer law because the service does not download songs to devices other than iPods.

Apple’s popular iTunes is also under pressure in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:sm... />Germany, France, Sweden, and Finland for not operating with other devices.