Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Deja Vu DRM

If you look around the room and don't see any crazy people, then you might be the one that is off his rocker. I'm baffled by this announcement from Microsoft....

Microsoft Announces Breakthrough Technology Enabling Simple Access to Broad Set of Digital Content, Including Music, Games, Video, Ring Tones and Pictures: Microsoft PlayReady powers next-generation media experiences on mobile networks; mobile: "Microsoft PlayReady technology enables a broad spectrum of business models such as subscription, rental, pay-per-view, preview and super-distribution, which can be applied to many digital content types and a wide range of audio and video formats."



They are introducing a new DRM scheme that they are promoting to content distributors and device manufacturers - this is after they just royally screwed everyone in the portable media player/music space by basicaly abandoning "Plays For Sure" in favor of their own closed-DRM ecosystem around the Zune. They are also said to be working on a Zune Phone, that would then compete with all of the phone manufacturers that they are pitching "PlayReady" to.

Fool me once Microsoft..... you won't be fooled again.

UPDATE: There is an interesting exchange between Wired and a Microsoft spokesman on the subject here.

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