| StoreTags: Zune, Microsoft, RIAA, DRM
Author: mrpanda on September 17 2006 Viewed 5105 times. 5 people liked this blog. You can rate it below if you haven't already.
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Some of you might have already happened upon this by way of Slashdot, but it's become apparent recently that Microsoft's new Zune media player will force viral DRM onto every song wirelessly shared from it so that the song can be played only 3 times or for no longer than 3 days. If you're Madonna, this is probably great, but if you're an unknown, especially one like myself who releases their music with creative commons or in some other unrestricted form, this is very over the line.
Although I'm not certain about this, there's also a supposed "feature" that will let you buy the songs shared from other users. I don't want Bill Gates making money off my music that was never meant to be sold in the first place, if that's how the said feature operates.
Personally, I hope this results in a class action lawsuit and a big blow to Microsoft's ego.
link
link
edit: new link link with a somewhat weak, imho, explaination of how Zune's 3plays/3days wrapper isn't really DRM. (thanks Raaphorst)
Cesar Menendez said: "If you have a song - say that you got “free and clear” - Zune to Zune Sharing won’t apply any DRM to that song. The 3-day/3-play limitation is built into the device, and it only applies on the Zune device: when you receive a song in your Inbox, the file remains unchanged. After 3 plays or 3 days, you can no longer play the song; however, you can still see a listing of the songs with the associated metadata."
Sounds like DRM to me, if the user who has the file shared to them has no other way to access the file. Say for example, I didn't have a server to store files on, but all my music was still Creative Commons licensed and shared via hardcopies I gave to friends. It makes the whole sharing feature completely redundant. For all it's worth, you may as well buy an ipod instead cause the sharing feature is obviously not doing you any real favors. | |
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09/20/06
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bsr
Raaphorst said: "story seems to be a little different:
link"
someones changed their story somewhere! - files without drm will not be wrapped then, but they will still expire within 3 days, so if i have a zune and have written a track, and i want to share it with a friend who also has a zune i won't be able to wirelessly send it to them? - they'll have to go home and download it to their device from the net if they want it for more than 3 days? - this is messy and completely shit, it's still drm, it just doesn't involve the familiar embedded software drm, it's still digitally managing your rights to listen to the file. it's crippling technology by treating the enduser as a criminal, by this logic you shouldn't be able to buy a sharp knife in case someone uses it to kill. for someone like me (and a lot of other folk here) the music industry doesn't exist (maybe 4cd's a year purchased), i make my own media and listen to media by other people, the industry isn't a factor.
09/20/06
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Fredo
Raaphorst said: "cool, Fredo!"
 Yeah, those files were ripped froma cd using iTunes. Were you able to play them?
09/22/06
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sweettrip
this sucks, because the ZUne player looks pretty sexy...
sorry MS, i ain't buying...
09/27/06
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fakeBlooper
it wouldn't surprise me if they GIVE zunes away for FREE or at least VERY cheap. think about it.
06/12/07
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Roshi
This bill gates pic always makes me laugh.
Especially since he tries to do sultry computer nerd.
06/12/07
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jdg
me2... except that one UF pshoped my face onto it
06/12/07
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mlbot
[qupte=soft]soft
mrpanda said: "
soft said: "i have this secret technique that makes the zune drm useless!"
Really? tell us more."
DONT BUY A ZUNE! [/quote]
awesome!
I see this less as MS hurting independent muscians as not helping them. My DRM-free mp3 player doesn't wirelessly share my music even for 3 days.
Big business has laways treated indie music like an annoying gnat... when it gets annoying enough they try to smash it, otherwise they dont care, but they certainly don't try to learn from / utilize any of the indie ethic. Look at those explicit lyrics stickers... willingly and lovingly put on CDs at the request of Tipper Gore, who pimped her husband Al's ability to pass a hefty tax on cassette tapes... the favored medium of indie bands at the time.
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