Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Brings Back DRM
Barence writes "Microsoft yesterday unveiled its MSN Mobile Music service — and a surprise return to digital rights management (DRM). While companies such as Apple and Amazon have finally moved to music download services free of copy protection, MSN Mobile locks tracks to the mobile handset they are downloaded to. It also charges more than the other services per track, and offers no way to transfer your tracks to your new phone when you upgrade. The company's Head of Mobile UK spoke to PC Pro about the launch, but his answers are almost as baffling as the service itself. Best quote: Q: 'If I buy these songs on your service — and they're locked to my phone — what happens when I upgrade my phone in six months' time?' A: 'Well, I think you know the answer to that.'"
I'm sure their subscribers will enjoy paying for the same thing multiple times.
Blah, Soon enough people will go out of their way to pirate the DRM version. After all look what DRM did for Spore.
"We're looking to gouge customers who are too stupid to look elsewhere."
Xbox bomb? The XBox and 360 are actually doing pretty well. Now the Zune... Well now that ITunes is going DRM free the Zune is even less interesting.
Too bad really. Competition is usually a good thing.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
Apple and Amazon have finally moved to music download services free of copy protection
I'm sorry, I was under the impression that Amazon's music service has always been DRM free.
Well if you want to pick nits, nobody explicitly said Amazon ever had DRM on their music download store. You could argue that Amazon has "moved to music download services free of copy protection" in that they moved into music download services, and those services don't use DRM.
I don't know why everyone got excited when Apple went DRM-free, I've been buying DRM free MP3 singles from Amazon for over a year.
Is it possible that you're just a bit touchy about people hyping Apple? I mean, we could debate the importance of iTunes dropping DRM on all songs, but they are the biggest music retailer in the US (including brick&mortar stores). That alone seems enough to make the transition noteworthy.
Anyway, you're right that DRM isn't dead yet. Amazon, Apple, and Netflix are still using DRM on video, AFAIK. Also, Microsoft *needs* DRM to stay alive in order to keep WMA alive. Ignoring issues related to DRM, what's the point of using WMA when you have the option of AAC or MP3?
I don't know why everyone got excited when Apple went DRM-free, I've been buying DRM free MP3 singles from Amazon for over a year.
Well, you probably didn't know that Amazon MP3 store is not available for "The rest of the world".
Amazon MP3 store means nothing to people outside the USA (that's a bounch of people!).
I happen to live outside the USA and that's the reason why I am very excited about iTunes going DRM free.
Unfortunately (for the customer), Microsoft's relationship with music provides one of the single best examples of why DRM simply does not work: PlaysForSure.
Reviewing just the first hour of video games.
It was originally a PC title that had been under development for 3+ years (I was following a lot of articles about it) that was meant to be something close to planetside in scope. It was going to be the Ultimate pc multiplayer shooter and you can see the potential with the vehicle combat and really well balanced weapons. Then it got stuck on a console forever when bungee ran out of money and MS swooped in seeing the potential of the franchise.
My Babylon
He's real enough:
http://www.nma.co.uk/Articles/33040/Hugh+Griffiths+to+head+up+mobile+at+MSN.html
Interestingly he's responsible for i-mode at O2, and we all know how much of an impact that made...
Has Microsoft secretly stumbled onto some previously unknown technique for making money off of doomed products that none of us have heard of? That's the only explanation for the constant parade of suck that's been pouring out of Microsoft in the recent years. I mean, they've never really been known for doing a quality job, but at least they've traditionally made products that have sold if for no other reason than Microsoft's standard unsavory practices. Now comes the Zune, Vista, "new" hotmail (on par with "New Coke" it seems), and now these plans for what sounds to be one of the worst DRM implementations ever at a time when their competitors are moving to distance themselves from DRM and the recent customer backlash surrounding it. I honestly can't understand how Microsoft could possibly be this boneheaded. At least things are looking, if not exactly good, at least encouraging on the Windows 7 front.
Curiosity was framed, Ignorance killed the cat.
Amazon only works in the US. From a how-many-people-are-you-leaving-out that's far worse than not working on Linux.
I use their one click album purchase. Most albums are $9.99.I've found that if I order multiple albums within several minutes of each other that all go on one CC transaction. Then, of course, I burn my wife a copy.
I don't know if they support the Mac. They should!
Persistant friends list, Cross game invites, single sign-on, singularity in online requirements/standards, *mostly* stable.
I'm sure there are others, but the only experience I have with PS3 is trying to get updates for the system for my family (30 minute download for every patch, regardless of size, over ethernet) And trying to play online with Rock Band 2 (spotty connection issues) and Little Big Planet (never been able to join someone else's game online, but have tried some downloaded levels). MGS4 had, what, 3 different logons/passwords? Resistance 2 has it's own friends list that isn't shared anywhere else? I know this is the developers making these bad decisions, but XBL at least says "No, don't be dumb... Why do you have 3 logins?"
Whether or not there is some sort of god, I'm not supposed to say/god is a word and the argument ends there-Smog
He has a Zune, and he's not afraid to use it!
There is no -1 Disagree mod. Slashdot.org/faq defines mod options. USE IT.
He's real enough:
http://www.nma.co.uk/Articles/33040/Hugh+Griffiths+to+head+up+mobile+at+MSN.html
Interestingly he's responsible for i-mode at O2, and we all know how much of an impact that made...
Hey, I had an iMode phone! I even met someone else with one once.
It was great, because every month they'd extend the free email + browsing trial by another month, presumably in an effort to get more subscribers. Except the phone was a bit crap (N343i) with poor reception and a low battery life. Still, I was annoyed when I "dropped" it in a pint of cider. It did manage to sent an MMS while submerged though. But it was the last message it sent :-(.
Amazon now works in the UK too
That isn't true.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/
http://www.amazon.de/
http://www.amazon.fr/
http://www.amazon.co.jp/
http://www.amazon.ca/
I only checked the first few, but they all have music stores.
Look closer. Those are CDs they're selling, not MP3 downloads.
"I like systems, their application excepted", George Sand (French)