MS defends Zune temporary DRM
updated 10:25 am EDT, Wed September 20, 2006
MS defends Zune DRM
Microsoft has answered claims that its Zune player may violate the international Creative Commons license, which states that copy protection cannot be applied to files where it does not already exist. If true, this would make Microsoft liable for any changes that might be made to relevant songs during wireless transfers between Zune players, since the handheld gadget imposes DRM on some of the music sent from one Zune to another, according to Electronista. "We don't actually 'wrap all songs up in DRM:' Zune to Zune Sharing doesn't change the DRM on a song, and it doesn't impose DRM restrictions on any files that are unprotected," wrote Cesar Menendez, a Microsoft employee who left the Xbox marketing team to help with the Zune player. "If you have a song - say that you got 'free and clear' - Zune to Zune Sharing won't apply any DRM to that song."
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But the receiving Zune
applies DRM that limits play to three times in three days (the three strikes you're out rule). Otherwise, how can the player know if the song was really "free and clear" or ripped from a copyrighted music CD? This is the reason Apple does not allow media syncing in the iPod to PC direction. Actually, you CAN do that now, but only for media files that have the iTunes Store marker.
The point is irrelevant because about the only place where there will be Zunes in close proximity will be on the Microsoft campus after Steve Ballmer forces employees to turn in their iPods for Zunes.