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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.

4 of 212 comments (clear)

  1. If you can hear it... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...you can record it. Case closed.

    1. Re:If you can hear it... by mister_playboy · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The more intrusive the DRM becomes, the more appealing the other alternatives get... just like digging your own grave.

      It's the same old problem of attacking the paying customers, while having no effect on those who don't pay for the content.

      --
      Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law ::: Love is the law, love under will
  2. Vapor Fluff. by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This "network DRM" seems to be a combination of old news and new buzzwords.

    The notion of conditional access to a server, or aspects of a server is decades old and utterly ubiquitous. If you have the credentials you can log in, access some file, do SMTP, whatever. This aspect of "network DRM" simply seems to be a renaming of password protected downloads.

    The second part of this system, which they seem to want to gloss over; but is obviously there, is some sort of client side DRM. Again, utterly non-novel. They claim that it is all on the network, and you can't download and copy; but that makes no sense. If your computer is playing it to you, you obviously did download it, and it obviously resides somewhere in your system's memory.

    This is pathetic. It's just a streaming service with client side DRM added on. Useless; but hardly novel.

  3. When I buy something by Reed+Solomon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You see, when I buy something, I like to own it. If I buy a car, I like to know that the car won't be taken away from me just because I lend it to a friend. If I cannot own something or there are stipulations, then I will not buy it. If there is no alternative than "piracy", I will obtain it. Simple as that. Why am I not buying Blu-Ray discs? I cannot be sure they will be playable for all time on my Linux computer. If I download a pirated mkv high def movie, I know that it will always be supported.

    In conclusion, this won't stop illegal downloading. The only thing that can stop illegal downloading is treating your customers with respect and offering something of value, not the latest in a long line of DIVX/DRM garbage.

    Then again, maybe the rest of the world isn't like me. Maybe most people in the world are stupid enough to pay for something they won't actually own.