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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."

12 of 570 comments (clear)

  1. DRM = Donkey Ronkey Monkey! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    DRM = Donkey Ronkey Monkey!
    MRD!

    1. Re:DRM = Donkey Ronkey Monkey! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Another lamer goes down in flames trying to start a new meme.

  2. Gmail by LinuxBSDNotSCO · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    plaese invite me to gmail email me here

    1. Re:Gmail by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
  3. Re:A two faced god... by strictnein · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Thank you, I'll be here all week.

    go away you assmunching fuck-a-duck!

  4. Always entertaining by WTFmonkey · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    It's always funny to watch posts like that one yo-yo through insightful-flamebait-informative-troll-overrated-u nderrated.

    It's also funny to watch posts like mine dive straight into Offtopicland.

    Sorry, though, I don't have an opposing argument for you that I can actually defend. Oh, well.

  5. Consiracy Alert! by narzy · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    The name Janus is also the name of the super secure air transport to and from Area 51 for employees.

  6. Re:Full Text of Article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Just how in the bloody hell can a first post to an article be redundant?

    I moderate often and meta-moderate almost every day. I try to improve Slashdot by moderating properly. It takes effort and time.

    It's starting to really piss me off that mod points go to someone so clearly clueless.

    From now on, I will meta-moderate all negative moderation as unfair.

    No, in fact I don't feel better now. >:(

  7. Re:Simple solution for .... by shaitand · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    The problem with that is, they blame the reduced sales on the filesharing that is the only thing keeping them in buisness (yeah that's right, it's the best advertising they are getting and I'd attribute it to more sales than radio or previews).

    In turn this just makes them slam in more restrictive DRM.

    Remember the boob tube and music are the least of the things this affects and the least significant. You may find physical activities more fulfilling but the MOST fulfilling activities are things like learning, reading, etc. Mental excerise takes the cake over physical activity any minute of the day and it mostly centers around books. Which though less talked about are certainly part of this.

    I'm sure if given the choice most people with an IQ of at least 150 will take books over walking if they could only have one for the rest of their lives.

    And most of the rest are the ones responsible for this mess, which is just one more reason to cull them from the breed. We've shown it works with cattle and sheep, and they are after all pretty much like sheep. Hell there is even a book about some guy 2000 yrs ago who called them all sheep and said he was the shepard, they happily agreed and have been mindlessly following for over 2000yrs!

  8. Re:Full Text of Article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    From now on, I will meta-moderate all negative moderation as unfair.
    I usually already do this as most things modded down on slashdot are modded that way unfairly when someone goes against the groupthink. I metamoderate at least once a day, usually twice (once in the morning, once in the evening) but hardly ever get mod points. The sad thing is I'm sure we'll both be buried in "offtopic" land because we're speaking out of turn on a web forum that is supposed to promote open discussion.
  9. Give Me A Ring Anytime. by mattyrobinson69 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    +447743552957

  10. Spanking magazine by Deton8 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Not that I normally hang out in the red light district in Amsterdam, but I happened to be there two weeks ago and accidentially went into a porn book store (was looking for the public library which I think is nearby). Anyway, this particular store specialized in corporal punishment (spanking) magazines, most of which involved girls in school uniforms. They had titles like "Janus #67", after the publisher's name (Society of Janus). More info is on their web site.

    Do you suppose this is where MS got their name?