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Microsoft Awarded Patent For Peer-To-Peer DRM

Posted by kdawson on from the in-it-for-the-royalties dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Music DRM might not be as dead as previously thought. InformationWeek reports that Microsoft has been awarded a digital-rights management patent for a distributed DRM system that works over peer-to-peer networks and uses encrypted public and private keys as the licensing mechanism. The author claims that patent number 7,594,275, entitled simply 'Digital rights management system,' is significant because, while centralized music stores like iTunes don't use DRM anymore, the Microsoft patent makes it possible that peer-to-peer networks could reemerge in the future as a viable, albeit protected, source of content."

4 of 151 comments (clear)

  1. Re:iPlayer by jonbryce · · Score: 4, Informative

    They've ditched the p2p version. You can now either download .wmv files directly from their servers, or use their Adobe AIR interface to download flash video directly.

    Channel 4 have also pretty much ditched their p2p offering in favour of flash video. ITV never had a p2p offering, but they've ditched their silverlight video in favour of flash video.

    That leaves Sky. They did at one point have a Kontiki p2p offering. They might still do.

  2. Peer-to-Peer banned in Brazil. by freedom_india · · Score: 3, Informative

    So, Microsoft is breaking the law in Brazil

    --
    "Doing what i can, with what i have." ~ Burt Gummer
    1. Re:Peer-to-Peer banned in Brazil. by buchner.johannes · · Score: 4, Informative

      That article and the ban was based on making money on illegal content (with advertising) and only for that specific website. RTFA, not just the headlines.

      --
      NB: The message above might reflect my opinion right now, but not necessarily tomorrow or next year.
  3. Is it something in the water? by westlake · · Score: 4, Informative

    I mean, I have only twice ever heard of someone buying MS software. Once, when someone bought Vista. I ended the friendship, because he thought it would be the greatest OS, and that MS is a nice company.

    1 Open Amazon.com.
    2 Search for software best sellers.
    3 Case closed.