MP3 patent owners to add DRM to file format

According to Thomson and Fraunhofer — the companies that license and own the patents behind MP3 digital music technolog — the popular standard music format is getting a makeover aimed at blocking unauthorized copying.

The move is aimed at pushing more deeply into the world of authorized music distribution through services such as
Apple Computer's iTunes or the new Napster. All those new services sell music wrapped in digital locks—most in
incompatible proprietary technologies by companies such as Apple, Microsoft or RealNetworks—while MP3 songs today are
typically distributed free of copy controls.