Zune the next to drop DRM?
By Ryan Block 
posted April 2nd 2007 5:21PM
posted April 2nd 2007 5:21PM
After this morning's big announcement we had to head over to get the other guy's take on the news. Microsoft was happy to oblige and furnish us with the usual boilerplate PR quote, including a very interesting bit on the future direction of DRM in the Zune.Microsoft's response, specifically regarding the Apple / EMI announcement:
"Consumers have indicated [having DRM free music] is important to them so Zune has been working with a variety of partners to head in this direction. [Emphasis ours] This is a time of transition for the music industry and Microsoft is committed to striking a balance between delivering the best consumer experience while still protecting the rights of the content owners."
Microsoft's general response with regard to DRM:
"Regardless of the outcome of DRM for music downloads, DRM technologies will still have a key role in enabling businesses involving digital content. Subscription music services are a good example – they use DRM to enable consumers to have unlimited access to literally millions of music tracks. Other areas include the delivery of high quality video content, such as movies. Our role continues to be to deliver flexible DRM technology that provides choice for the content owner in how they distribute their content and choice for the consumer so that they have access to a wide variety of high-quality content and ways to enjoy that content."
There you have it, ladies and gents. Microsoft is working behind the scenes to shake some of the DRM from the Zune.
But who cares?
Both zoon users?
Piot: I think that was a pretty good checkmate and should end this thread nicely. well done!
waddo
http://www.waddo.net/
Now if they would tell the MPAA to "stuff it" and remove DRM from Vista and HDCP from all of our HDMI television sets we would be in business.
Someone earlier had mentioned that EMI was offering the tracks to any digital retailer in any of the more popular formats (WMA, MP3, AAC, etc.). This is not true, I just found out this morning that they are only offering their new higher quality music without DRM in the AAC format. Only the AAC format. This will put the hurt on M$ who is insistant on driving their own WMA format and it seems unlikely that they will adopt AAC to support higher quality, DRM-free content. But, I could be wrong; maybe M$ will surprise us and abstain from using WMA.
Oh, and for what it's worth, I too think the Apple article yesterday was heavily biased against them. And Ryan, do you really think that audiophiles are purchasing compressed audio? Come on.
And the very fact that you are arguing that EMI (and Apple in turn) are still offering these cheaper tracks infers that Steve Jobs DID have a part in this and should be given credit.
Ryan, I am also disappointed in your refusal to admit (or is it that you, employee of Engadget, have forgotten about) all of the devices that really do support AAC.
And on the subject of DRM attached to movies vs songs—song purchases are a quick fix and are inexpensive, light weight, quick and easy to find at the iTS. It is not as necessary to have DRM on this type of content.
I see many holes in your article but these few that I pointed out are enough to color it and I see that detracting from its value... unless you have an established dislike for Apple, Inc.
@Adam M
I was going to comment that your statement that Bill Gates spoke out against DRM was pathetically misread, but it seems others beat me to it. You provided a link, yet you didn't actually READ it. I too read the "headlines" on Digg at the time the article was popularized, thinking at first that Bill Gates said something OTHER than what he ACTUALLY said. Re-read his comments, and you'll see he was making veiled criticisms about interoperability. You might have also misread Mike Arrington's words as if they were Bill Gates words. It was Arrington and NOT Gates that stated: "I don’t hide the fact that I think DRM isn’t workable, and actively support DRM-free music alternatives such as eMusic and Amie Street."
Just FYI buddy. It's really amusing that your comment was about fact checking. Highly ironic.
All DRM acheives is to push more people(if they did not already)to file sharing which coincidently is free and illegal. The great thing is the music companys can't stop this because of the scale of file sharing. How the hell are they meant to prosecute ten's of millions of people?
Answer that qeustion Itunes
"they use DRM to enable consumers to have unlimited access to literally millions of music tracks"
I'd love to see the logic behind this statement in comparison to getting rid of DRM.
Nice.
>
Is this a new meaning of the word "Unlimited"?
OK, so what would be the effect of _no_ DRM? More "unlimited"?
McP.R. types are responsible, I guess..
Unlimited? I don't think that word means what you think it means...