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Lala Invents Network DRM

Posted by kdawson on from the ensnaring-your-music dept.

An anonymous reader writes in with a CNet story about the record label-backed music company Lala, which claims to have invented "Network DRM." Lala has filed for a patent on moving DRM from a file wrapper, like Windows Media and FairPlay, to the server. Digital music veteran Michael Robertson has quotes from the patent application on his blog. (Here is the application.) Lala describes an invention that monitors every access, allows only authorized devices (so far there are none), blocks downloads, and can revoke content at the labels' request.

5 of 212 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Bah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    You're one fast cracker. I managed to crack Korn the other day but I don't care.

    -Jimmy

  2. In other words by brian0918 · · Score: 5, Funny

    In other words, it's a patent on how to not distribute content.

  3. Claim 7 Has Your Number by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...you can record it. Case closed.

    Yeah, but this amazingly intrusive technology was planning for that:

    (i) scanning storage files of the user's computer to identify any digital media content files stored therein,(ii) uploading a list of any identified digital media content files to the host computer system, and(iii) adding to the list any digital media content files that the user purchases from the purchasing component of the host computer system

    You would think it would end at notifying the mothership that you are in possession of that file. Nope, from the details:

    For each digital media file on the list, the Uploader finds the matching source file and transcodes the media into a format supported by the system components, if necessary.

    Man, I can't wait to install that uploader only to find my entire MP3 collection has been transformed to .lala and no longer works unless I pay for it. Sounds a bit like my medical records.

    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:Claim 7 Has Your Number by mazarin5 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Geez....how are they gonna convince someone to let them load this crap on their computer?

      Funny mouse cursor?

      --
      Fnord.
  4. Re:Vapor Fluff. by AuraSeer · · Score: 5, Funny

    If your computer is playing it to you, you obviously did download it, and it obviously resides somewhere in your system's memory.

    They thought about that. The audio data itself never actually gets to your computer; it all resides on the server and is played from there.

    They just need really, really big speakers so you can hear the music from your house.