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Sony's Idea of DRM-Free Music

Posted by kdawson on from the about-as-expected dept.

edmicman writes "Leave it to Sony to mess up DRM-free music downloads. What is the point of DRM-free tracks if you still have to go to a retail store to buy them? From the Infoworld article: 'The tracks will be offered in MP3 format, without DRM, from Jan. 15 in the U.S. and from late January in Canada... The move is far from the all-digital service offered by its rivals, though. To obtain the Sony-BMG tracks, would-be listeners will first have to go to a retail store to buy a Platinum MusicPass, a card containing a secret code, for a suggested retail price of $12.99. Once they have scratched off the card's covering to expose the code, they will be able to download one of just 37 albums available through the service, including Britney Spears' "Blackout" and Barry Manilow's "The Greatest Songs of the Seventies."'"

19 of 370 comments (clear)

  1. thepiratebay by jacquesm · · Score: 5, Funny

    Has lots of DRM free sony downloads, without any of that hassle of going to a store :)

    coming soon to a bittorrent client near you...

    --
    MP3 Search Engine
    1. Re:thepiratebay by ComaVN · · Score: 5, Funny

      I blame Java courses for people not understanding the difference.

      --
      Be wary of any facts that confirm your opinion.
    2. Re:thepiratebay by nmg196 · · Score: 3, Funny

      > yes, I did once leave my PC on for a wek trying to download one album.

      Open your firewall then. The albums will download about 10 times quicker.

    3. Re:thepiratebay by renegadesx · · Score: 4, Funny

      Hey kids, give a warm /. welcome to Darl McBride

      --
      Make SELinux enforcing again!
    4. Re:thepiratebay by sorak · · Score: 5, Funny

      Oh great, Pirate Bay is going to be slashdotted now...Their sys admins will report that Manilow, spears, and sucky music in general have become a cultural phenomena. The word "manilowed" will become a verb meaning "was crappy for fifty years, and, for no apparent reason, became incredibly popular".

      The "Encyclopedia of Crap that Never happened" (not to be confused with the O'Reilly factor) will attribute it to Sony's "It's cool to be old and curly-haired" campaign, but we'll both know the real reason.

      I hate you more than you'll ever know.

    5. Re:thepiratebay by xystren · · Score: 2, Funny

      So let me put my tinfoil had on for a moment... After all, this is Sony.

      [TinFoilHat:ON]

      So I go out to the store, buy a little card, scratch off the number, go to Sony's website, type in that number, and download my song. It can't be that simple or easy.

      Let me make a prediction, you now have to create a sign in (name, address, and CC number to verify your address, etc) and they also record your IP address when you download your music. Perhaps it's my paranoia of Sony (from their past *tricks*) but I'd be willing to bet somewhere in the MP3 that you download that little "code on the card" is contained within that MP3 file and thusly is attached to your login ID (and associated information that goes along with it) and IP address (now your IP isn't just tied to any random person that may used that computer like p2p sharing is), now they are tied to a specific account(read:YOU.) This is no longer 3rd party information they have to jump through the legal hoops to to get, it's their own DATA, to use as they please for their own little war against piracy.

      So now if your DRM free file shows up elsewhere (ie p2p network), they know exactly who they need to go after. After all, I'm sure embedded in within the terms of service, or conditions of download that you *MUST* agree to before you can download the music file that you are responsible for keeping that file safe and secure and are responsible for what ever damaged and lost of revenue to Sony it may incur; and I'm sure there will be some clause about binding arbitration (of course to fit their *EVIL* plans)

      [TinFoilHat:OFF]

      Too much information for the far too evil corporation.

      [ToungeInCheek:ON]

      But one thing I will give Sony credit for, they have likely stopped the p2p sharing of this DRM free music by studying the demographics of the people that use p2p.... I mean, Britney Spears, Barry Manilow, and the Bee Gees? The choice right there will prevent piracy due to just plain shame of even admitting ones owns one of those albums..... Absolutely F'n brilliant on Sony's part!

      [ToungeInCheek:OFF]

      Nope, I will stick with my choice to not purchase Sony Music, or if by that chance that it's somthing I really want, I will purchase the CD and use it only in a stand alone CD player. If I want it on my MP3 player that bad, I'll record it to tape, and convert the tape to MP3. It's already a lossy format and my ears aren't that good anymore. (DAMN YOU SONY!!! and YOUR DAMN WALKMANS TOO)

      In Sony-iet Russia, the DRM frees you! [Frees you to get sued]

      Cheers,
      Xyst

  2. Barry Manilow and Britney Spears! by Nicolas+MONNET · · Score: 5, Funny

    With such quality music, how is it possible they're losing market share??!

  3. Britney Spears by Hal_Porter · · Score: 5, Funny

    I dunno, I'd pay to hear a Britney cover of "Wait for the Blackout". Particularly now she's a lot fucking crazier now than Dave Vanian ever was.

    --
    echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
  4. Dear Sony by AbandonAllHope · · Score: 5, Funny

    http://adrinael.net/wrong2.jpg

    --
    Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here
  5. Subject? by DirtyHerring · · Score: 2, Funny

    There is no way, this could possibly fail.

    1. Re:Subject? by Hennell · · Score: 1, Funny

      What if sony were to slap a blu-ray player on it?
      ---
      Contronyms: for people who are chuffed by antonyms
      ---

  6. Think of it this way by eclectro · · Score: 2, Funny

    Britney Spears and Barry Manilow is a rootkit for the human brain.

    --
    Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
  7. Sony's clever plan by Farmer+Tim · · Score: 3, Funny

    I see what they're doing. By making people choose between Britney Spears and Barry Manilow they're attempting to prove that popular music is no worse now than it's ever been.

    --
    Blank until /. makes another boneheaded UI decision.
  8. Congratulations! by TheVelvetFlamebait · · Score: 2, Funny

    You are officially the first person on Slashdot to get modded up for expressing a desire to listen to Brittany Spears!

    --
    You know, there is a difference between trolling and pointing out the flaws in your reasoning. Just saying.
  9. Re:Hurray! by deniable · · Score: 3, Funny

    And for an encore:

    Oh Sony, you came and you took without giving,
    You've taken it all, oh Sony.

    Misspent youth with only AM radio.

  10. Better idea by noidentity · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've got a better idea, if it's something you have to go to a store to get. They could put DRM-free lossless versions of the songs on small optical discs (they'd be cheap) that you buy at the counter, no codes or anything. They might even be able to get them to play in current portable music players. They'd be digital, of course. Maybe some other company has tried this before?

  11. There's NO quality degradation here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    You're saying that Britney Spears in mp3 is worse than Britney Spears in flac? I don't think so.

    Oh, and don't even ask what's worse - Britney Spears in mp3 or Britney Spears in wig... That's just rude.

  12. Re:Best idea by Rik+Sweeney · · Score: 5, Funny

    True, but doing it my way means you get some exercise and fresh air.

    Granted, if you drive or use public transport you probably won't get much exercise. And if you live in the city then it'd probably be better for you to stay inside.

    Plus I have to spend money.

    Shit, your way's much better. I'm going to do that instead from now on.

    --
    Summation 2
  13. Re:What is a 7/12" ?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Playing at 78 saves so much time. Life is too short to listen to music at the correct speed.