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Diamond will provide anti-piracy software for Rio
Anonymous Coward writes "Diamond is responding to the RIAA threat to their MP3 player by offering anti-piracy software that would 'lock-up' the recording after listening to one or two tracks. You can get the full scoop here. "
(Melbert, posting this as AC from work, without his password handy)
The important thing about MP3 is not wether people can duplicate with impunity anything that they want. The Music "Industry" can "protect" the canned product that they own all they like. The real revolution of MP3 will be when a whole lot of musicians (the people who actually own musical instruments and/or use the microphone jack on their recording equipment) are empowered to distribute their music THEMSELVES without all the suits acting as middlemen.
One point that just isn't covered well in the mainstream press is wether the schemes being devised to "protect the Musicians" from the dastardly MP3 will be closed, proprietary formats that individual musicians can't acquire and use to publish their music themselves.
If MP3 really takes off, it will be when any musician can put up a site to distribute his/her tunes, and kick the Record Companies out of their lives. The technology is here now for that. A major change in the channels of distribution is what has the Music Industry quaking in their boots, not the ability of people to distribute rip off copies of their Pink Floyd CDs.
The issue has to shift from people "pirating" stuff that's already "owned" by the Music industry. If the industry people keep the focus on "piracy" and manage to force proprietary standards where they continue to control the means of distribution, they have won.