DRM-laden "playback only" DAP for Japan

Apparently acquiring music illegitimately is a huge fiasco in Japan, or at least that's the impression we get based on the newest "playback only private memory player" slated to hit the presumably scandalous Tokyo streets. Based loosely on the "digital disc" (DD) EZmax player already sold in Korea by Liztech, this device sports an unsightly black enclosure and enough DRM stipulations to make even the RIAA cringe (well, probably not). Thanks to two seemingly right-shunning companies (C4T and DRMS), the forthcoming DAP will purportedly come pre-loaded with tunes and will be sold directly by the record labels, and we can only assume the amount of CDs it carries will be determined by the capacity (32MB to 2GB) you choose to purchase. Moreover, since the files sport a proprietary file format and incorporate the "acuagraphy" watermarking technique, ripping / distributing this stuff will probably create some massive headaches. The unit itself also features a lonely headphone jack, a five-band equalizer, and gets power from a single AAA battery, and while we aren't sure how much these (near worthless) things will sell for with they land next year, we can't think of anyone in their right mind who'd even care.

[Via Impress]

[Jonny @ Dec 27th 2006 11:03AM]

God...that is like enslaving yourself voluntarily to the nazi's of the music industry. Has any one seen such an ugly piece of tech? I say to you my brothers and sisters over seas, do not accept this shackle, cloaked in gadgetry, say to the industry, give me liberty of free music or give me ... a fine of 5,000 dollars i guess... but seriously this thing is ugly.

[Qweltol @ Dec 27th 2006 11:24AM]

Wow. That article contains TMA (Too Many Acronyms).

[Jeff @ Dec 27th 2006 11:33AM]

If it's got a headphone jack, none of the DRM or proprietary formats matter. You can always connect to a PC through that jack and rip that way.

So, I guess the next logical step is to remove the headphone jack. Then the record labels will have the perfect music player, locked down so tight that you can't even listen to the music it contains.

[010111 @ Dec 28th 2006 10:11PM]

you do know what watermarking is right? it works fine over an analog connection. even hideously bad connections involving air (speaker -> mic).

[JR @ Dec 27th 2006 11:42AM]

The only thing that would make this player better is if it came pre-loaded with the complete works of Creed.

[saq @ Dec 27th 2006 12:13PM]

Hopefully the massive failure of this device will show the recording/content industry that DRMing the shit out of everything isnt going to solve their problems.

[kaztm @ Dec 27th 2006 1:10PM]

The news release says that the license fees have been discounted for this device thanks to the proprietary format and watermarking.
If the record industry is comfortable with this combination of technologies, then perhaps they will be able to "sponsor" digital audio players more aggressively?

My Sandisk Sansa came with several songs, but I don't think Sandisk paid for them. (I may be wrong.)
These $9 MP3 players which takes SD cards for storage could become cheaper if not free if "sponsored" by the music industry using DD and acuagraphy technologies, and I wouldn't mind having a proprietary partition in my player if that will save me a few dollars.
http://donya.jp/everg/9.3/22889/-/mother_catalog_num.22597/

It's easy to Engarbage news, but I'd like to look at the positive side.

[tekdemon @ Dec 27th 2006 4:17PM]

I think I've seen something similar here in the US...I've seen audiobooks come on some crazy playback only device before-at totally ridiculous prices of course (seriously who in their right mind would buy a $25 audio book)

[barry @ Dec 27th 2006 7:29PM]

Wow, I bet people in Japan are going to be lining up to buy these!
/sarcasm

Japan is the place where you can rent CDs by the hour. You go to the store with your laptop, rent a stack of CDs, and rip away. We have similar stores in the US, only they're called "The Library," and there's no rental fee unless you return them late.

[chef @ Dec 28th 2006 1:28AM]

This is great - force all the RIAA execs to use these for all of their music and see what happens.

[hoeun kim @ Dec 28th 2006 4:10PM]

i saw this while in korea. its use isnt mass appeal but they used it at record stores as a music sampling device for new albums thats out. like they had listening stations set up with this and headphone on a rack.

[XSportSeeker @ Dec 28th 2006 8:14PM]

Might work out, since it's Japan and all... people as less eagger to hack stuff like that.
But if this was released on the west side of the globe, I'd give it a couple of months before getting hacked and stripped from it's DRM faggotry.