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Microsoft's Janus DRM Software Officially Unveiled
hype7 writes "News.com.com is reporting the official unveiling of Microsoft's new DRM system, internally dubbed 'Janus'. Interestingly enough, a wide variety of companies including AOL, Dell, Disney, Napster and Freescale, a subsidiary of Motorola, have all signed on to the technology. Whilst some content providers and producers are keen, it remains to be seen what consumers will think - 'the new digital rights management tools include features that would protect content that is streamed around a home network, or even block data pathways potentially deemed 'unsafe,' such as the traditional analog outputs on a high-definition TV set. That's a feature that has been sought by movie studios in advance of the move to digital television.' I love the quotes from the MS rep - 'This release of technology really enables all kinds of new scenarios that are emerging now,' said Jason Reindorp, a group manager in Microsoft's Windows digital media unit. 'We're taking quite a holistic view.' It's good to see Microsoft taking a holistic view of preventing the consumer doing what they want with their paid for content, and protecting us from unsafe data pathways."
It's not just a two-faced view, it's a holistic two-faced view.
...your compiler is calling.
Breakfast served all day!
I'm going to offer the movie studios the ultimate in DRM.
For a large fee, I'll cut the optic nerves in all of their customers, thereby preventing any unauthorized duplication or descriptions thereof.
Linux - Because Mommy taught me to Share.
Apple DRM is fair and good and enables access to wonderful online content.
Microsoft DRM is evil and repressive and will smother your ability to use your computer.
Anyone violating these rules will be moderated accordingly.
I think it is ironic that M$ is working on a technology to help with "unsafe data pathways." How will a M$ product keep its content off of M$ products? The DRM that does not allow content. Sounds like a good way to keep it safe.
I inserted a random deity into the reading of the last paragraph of your post, and it happened to turn up "Janus." Oops. Should I try again?
Maybe the linefeeds are part of the DRM beta test. If Slashdot doesn't qualify as an "unsafe data channel", I don't know what does.
One god, one market, one truth, one consumer.
Did anybody else immediately think "now why did they name it something so close to 'anus'?"...
"Murphy was an optimist" - O'Toole's commentary on Murphy's Law
Janus was also the Russian mafia crime boss in the James Bond movie Goldeneye who **** SPOIILER ALERT *** turned out to be 006.
I rather like the term "unsafe data pathways" - what a wonderful euphemism!
I think I'll go play some morally questionable auditory material over an unsafe data pathway right now.
Is this a threat, Bill?
I for one feel much safer knowing Microsoft is protecting me from media.
"or even block data pathways potentially deemed 'unsafe,' such as the traditional analog outputs on a high-definition TV set"
I assume that refers to the very dangerously analog visual display. Ohhh and be sure to make sure such dangerously analog outputs as speakers are disabled as well.
And the next
"They said I probly shouldn't fly with just one eye," "I am Bender. Please insert girder."
thats why you get a mac..
The war with islam is a war on the beast
The war on terror is a war for peace
Oh whenever i read another story about the libery crushing plans of DRM i recall the humorous humorous 'slashdot DRM Helmet'
/. will be used as a prior art reference:)
It plugs that 'analog hole' by analyzing everything you hear and blocking it out if you dont have a license.
I wonder if some day in the future
>Communication between businesses, schools, and the rest of the world is important to those instituions. There's no choice.
exactly, and it's MS who don't have the choice.
imagine instantly splitting the internet into 2: those using Windows, and those not using Windows. do you really think that those not using Windows will change, cos I think 99% of all changes would be to the non-Windows internet.
individuals who want to surf and do email would change to linux, but you won't get businesses, academics etc. to change to windows.
Also remember, IT'S MICROSOFT CODE!
Is it cracked yet?
What the *#%$ is a "mandated possibility"?
I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.
oopps... too late.
--Mike--
Notably, Janus is the god of gates and doors but not windows;
I don't think Gates have a god, in most cases it seems like he thinks he is God.
"Janus looks in two directions, not many; thus the pejorative usage indicating that the abusee is "two-faced". And quite appropriate; the face MS Janus presents to the music"
I just thought that if a Java version came out, it would be "J Anus" for a naming scheme...
Boy wouldn't that be true to form...
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
"Janus" is really a Swing-compatible version of Microsoft's "anus" class. Janus is a producer class for all other kinds of Microsoft content.
Sorry. Too much Java lately.
God, I hate replying to my own posts, but I just did a google search on Janus and the third hit was for "The Society of Janus," which is a San Francisco based BDSM education/support group. Maybe that's who they licensed the name from. It would at least be more fitting for what they are trying to do.
"Say you were a member of congress. And say you were an idiot. But I repeat myself." -Mark Twain
I have gas, but my car uses petrol.
Sooner or later they will require you to listen to it through headphones where the signal is transmitted digitally and the headphones decrypt it internally. Sure, you can still head the signal off right before the speaker, but it makes it much harder.
And then after that, they just need to make versions where the digital signal goes all the way into your skull and hooks up directly into the brain. It will be much harder to head that off at the pass, but I'm sure it will still be possible.
In any case audio is the simple case. It's video I'm worried about because you can't just point a camera at the screen and record what it sees, expecting to get decent quality.
Karma: It's all a bunch of tree-huggin' hippy crap!
Unless they manage to come up with a content delivery system that bypasses the need for ears and eyeballs, the analog path will always exist.
I prefer the term "free market" to "capitalist" as the latter has been irretrievably blackened by the behavior of virtually everyone in the business and political worlds.
Just a nitpick.
Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!