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Sun's Open Source DRM

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the get-ready-for-some-resistance dept.

DigDuality writes "Wired has an interesting look at Sun's proposed 'Open Source DRM'. From the article: 'Its goal is to promulgate an open-source architecture for digital rights management that would cut across devices, regardless of the manufacturer, and assign rights to individuals rather than gadgets [...] If DReaM works, consumers will be able to access their purchased songs through a number of providers, and using a wide variety of devices." Slashdot took a first look at Sun's DReaM last August.

3 of 274 comments (clear)

  1. Interesting! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I always find it strange how Sun's business model seems to constantly be evolving towards developing products that either

    a) no one wants, or
    b) have already been made.

    Just because it's open source doesn't make it "right," or even useful. DRM is all about the content provider being able to dictate what your computer is capable, and incapable of doing; if you really do want your computer use restricted by commercial companies (not even necessarily within your own country), then yeah, maybe this might be a good idea.

  2. This is the kind of DRM I could support by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If I read the article correctly...

    I purchase the -right- to listen to a song.

    Once purchased, I can replace it if I lose it.

    Once purchased, I can listen to it on any new form of playback that comes along.

    ---
    I doubt it will be supported since it undercuts the dream by the media creators that we pay every single time we play a song- and we rebuy it for each new playback device.

    --
    She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
  3. Re:weird perspective for a conflict... and wrong! by hackstraw · · Score: 5, Interesting

    DRM may kill this system, which means I will not be getting new content.

    I just thought of what the media people would do if they were in another service industry. Lets take for example, running water. Lets pretend that Sony gets into the water business.

    If they were in the running water business, they would probably be in other businesses as well. Like Sony does content, hardware, etc. So you could get a Sony sink and faucet with your Sony water.

    The difference is that you would have to use your Sony sink, or Sony licensed sink to drink your Sony water. The Sony water would then have to be protected so that a Panasonic sink would not be able to dispense of the Sony water. How would they do that?

    DRM. Yes, they would add a poison to the water, at great expense and danger to the public. The water would kill you in seconds of ingestion without the aid of a Sony sink to remove the poison.

    Of course, you could license the rights to drink Sony's poisoned water, but all of the fittings would be nonstandard. You would have to get special tools to work on the sink. Oh, and Sony water would never just go through PVC or copper pipe. The Sony water would need an end to end transport system.