01/15, 4:10pm
Move could shut out resale of used games
A recently-published patent application from Sony has revealed a new prototype digital rights management scheme that embeds small radio frequency identification (RFID) chips into game disks that will serve to prevent games previously played on another system to be played on other systems, effectively halting the sale of used games. The patent was filed in September and awaits approval by the US Patent Office.
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04/24, 7:20pm
Future Tor Books to be DRM-free
Tor Books, the fantasy and sci-fi publisher, plans to remove DRM from its entire library of e-books by July. This move makes Tor one of the largest book publishers to have shied away from DRM protection.
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02/29, 1:15pm
Media on multiple devices, supports UltraViolet
Some of the same studios that developed the the UltraViolet digital standard are launching a new initiative to make content available across multiple devices. SanDisk, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group and Western Digital
have formed a new working group dubbed the Secure Content Storage Association (SCSA) to develop a new digital rights management (DRM) protocol that would make digital media available across multiple devices and through the cloud. The group will develop the system under the working title "Project Phenix."
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11/17, 9:00pm
Studios had hoped for an iTunes alternative
Customers who are having problems or are dissatisfied with Ultraviolet, the digital streaming movie alternative to iTunes, are ironically being given iTunes redemption codes when their complaints cannot be resolved, reports AppleInsider. The Ultraviolet format, which is support mainly by Sony and Warner Brothers, has received harsh reviews and complaints from critics and consumers alike, doesn't work with Apple TV and some other iOS devices.
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03/07, 10:15pm
Retailer attempts to dispel rumors
Following Amazon's announcement of its Android Appstore and DRM protection, the retailer has attempted to clarify several of the terms that have been met with criticism or uncertainty. Developers will be able to opt out of the DRM option if they so choose. The system also works with a 'small token' that downloads to a user's device for authentication, enabling the service to work when an Internet connection is unavailable.
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01/01, 6:20am
Tobias posts code to assist developers secure apps
Tobias, the white hat hacker who recently revealed a proof-of-concept crack for the copy protection on Windows Phone 7 apps has taken steps to develop a solution for his own hack. His FreeMarketplace code (only 65.5kb in size) took only about 6 hours to develop, but in the process demonstrated how easily the Microsoft’s app DRM copy-protection for WP7 could be stripped. The crack was not intended to harm the WP7 Marketplace, but was intended as a critique of Microsoft’s seemingly lax security. To help protect developers in the interim, while Microsoft develops its own solution, Tobias has posted code that developers can deploy in their apps to help protect them from piracy.
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09/17, 12:55am
Company likely to battle circumvention in court
Intel has confirmed that the alleged HDCP 'Master Key,' leaked earlier this week, is the specific code used to secure the copyright-protection standard. The code presumably could be used to create usable source and sync keys, effectively circumventing the DRM protections used in many Blu-ray players, DVD players, displays and set-top boxes.
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06/14, 10:35pm
IEEE proposes Digital Personal Property standard
The IEEE P1817 working group has come into effect last month and proposes a file protection system that aims to allow users to share their digital files but keep them protected from outright copying at the same time. Known as Digital Personal Property (DPP), it includes two pieces of a digital file and would be a less restrictive alternative to DRM file protection. There would be a title folder and a playkey. The title folder would contain the encrypted file, while a playkey would grant access.
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06/12, 12:50pm
Blu-ray Managed Copy
An updated version of the Blu-ray standard will allow for limited copying, the head of the group behind the format's copy protection has acknowledged. Michael Ayers, chairman of the AACS Licensing Authority, confirms that almost all discs released after the first quarter of 2010 should allow one full-resolution copy, known as a Managed Copy. Videos will be writable to Blu-ray or DVD discs, or a Windows Media DRM-compatible file; alternately, a file may be included on-disc.
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03/16, 5:50pm
Apple refutes DRM claims
Apple has refuted recent claims that the new iPod shuffle integrates DRM technology to prevent third-party companies from making compatible products without paying fees. iLounge and the Electronic Frontier Foundation noted the presence of a chip behind the buttons on the in-line controls, leading to the presumption that the component provided authentication for the signal.
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03/16, 1:40pm
EFF attacks iPod shuffle
Apple is headed in the wrong direction with the redesigned iPod shuffle, claims the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The public advocacy group notes that while Apple has mostly disposed of DRM in terms of music files, it has effectively added more by limiting which audio hardware can connect to the player's headphone jack. If not used with official Apple earbuds, the player will require an adapter or officially-sanctioned third-party headphones.
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03/14, 8:20pm
Shuffle has DRM issues
Apple's new iPod Shuffle has added a new layer of hardware DRM, possibly preventing third-party companies from reverse-engineering the Shuffle technology in order to build headphones. Electronic Frontier and iLounge have discovered an Apple authentication chip DRM (Digital Right Management) requirement that will mean third-party headphone makers will have to pay fees for the authentication chip and design headphones with the chip included. The authentication chip provides a legal means to prevent headphone makers from reverse-engineering the Shuffle output to create a set of headphones that work with the new iPod. Apple could sue any companies that attempted such an effort for DCMA violations.
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03/11, 1:30pm
Vodafone drops MP3 DRM
Vodafone has announced plans to switch the majority of its music catalog to a DRM-free MP3 format. The phone carrier says it has signed deals with Sony, EMI and Universal, which will allow tracks bought from the record labels to be copied freely between phones, computers and dedicated media players. Vodafone claims that it will also be the first provider in the world to do dual delivery, by which a track can be downloaded to both a phone and a computer at no extra charge, and with no device sync.
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03/02, 1:30pm
Nokia music going DRM-free
Music sold through Nokia's Comes With Music service will eventually go DRM-free, according to one of the company's executives. Adam Mirabella, the director of Nokia's Global Digital Music Retail division, says that the company is currently in negotiations with various groups, and has fixed removing DRM as a long-term goal. No specific record labels have been named, nor has a firm date been set for when the transition will occur.
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02/04, 6:55pm
Norway drops iTunes issues
Norway's consumer watchdog has put an end to the lengthy conflict with Apple regarding iTunes DRM restrictions, according to the AFP. The Market Council opposed the anti-piracy protection because of the incompatibility with MP3 players other than Apple's own iPod line. The company recently ignored a November 3rd deadline imposed by the Ombudsman, Bjoern Erik Thon, who threatened to take the case before the Market Council if all iTunes tracks were not made compatible with other media players.
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01/06, 1:55pm
iTunes at MW09
In concluding its Macworld 2009 keynote, Apple has confirmed a switch to a variable pricing model for iTunes music, where previously the company charged a flat 99 cents per track. Beginning in April the company will offer three tiers of pricing: 69 cents, 99 cents and finally $1.29, with a greater proportion of tracks falling under the bottom tier than the top; all tracks aged less than six years should remain at 99 cents. The scheme is said to be attributable to flexibility demands from record companies.
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01/05, 9:10pm
iTunes flexible pricing
Apple has allegedly backed away from its strict pricing policies for iTunes songs, although the same negotiations could also mean that music from the big three labels could soon be DRM-free, according to CNET News. A source suggests that the tracks will fall into three pricing categories, including a higher-priced level for hit songs, which many media companies have pushed for. The shift could lead to higher profits for sales of popular singles.
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12/15, 4:00pm
Labels split on iTunes DRM
Hold-out major labels are split on what they want before allowing DRM-free tracks on the iTunes Store, anonymous sources claim. Although Apple CEO Steve Jobs has claimed to want DRM-free tracks on iTunes, only EMI and a host of independent labels have so far offered any material which can be copied without arbitrary restrictions. Apple benefits financially from DRM by forcing iTunes customers to use iPods for many tracks; this is not why DRM-free tracks have been slow in proliferating however, according to the sources.
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11/26, 8:00pm
DisplayPort DRM conflict
Apple is under fire once again for its use of copyright protection, with the implementation of High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) into the Mini DisplayPort video connection found on the latest MacBook, MacBook Pro, and Air notebooks, according to Macworld.com. The enforcement of HDCP protection had caused problems for a number of iTunes customers, preventing them from playing videos on external displays that were not compatible with the protection standard.
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09/29, 10:05am
Norway vs. iTunes Store
Apple should soon face scrutiny from the Norwegian government over practices at the iTunes Store, writes the Associated Press. Bjoern Erik Thon, the consumer ombudsman for Norway, says he is planning to bring Apple in front of the government's Market Council, over allegations that the iTunes Store is closed off to non-Apple media players. The company has until November 3rd to respond; Thon has been pushing for a voluntary change for two years however, on the basis that Apple's practices break Norwegian law.
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09/28, 10:20pm
Wal-Mart done with DRM
Wal-Mart is following the actions of Microsoft, Yahoo and Virgin, shutting down its DRM (Digital Rights Management) servers on October 9. The move will render any Wal-Mart-purchased, copy protected WMA music files inert if not burned to CD prior to the server shutdown. Boing Boing is reporting that Wal-Mart has emailed customers warning them of the impending server shutdown and its effect on their collections.
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08/29, 10:00am
20 new Digital Copy DVDs
20th Century Fox has announced a slate of new movies in its Digital Copy program. Digital Copy is a partnership with Apple, and bundles a digital version of a movie with its DVD counterpart; the file is pre-formatted for iTunes, making it convenient to sync with devices like iPhones and Apple TVs, although the file is not DRM-free, as with a normal DVD rip. Digital Copies can also be loaded onto Windows Media-compatible devices.
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08/27, 4:15pm
Studios back Sony DRM
A Tuesday report has the majority of the big movie studios and distributors supporting a plan put forth by Sony Pictures that would decrease the restrictions Digital Rights Management (DRM) imposes on users' ability to enjoy their purchased videos and movies. Last year, Sony Pictures proposed a set of policies and software and service framework it called Open Market that would allow larger flexibility of DRM content and let customers enjoy content on various devices they must first register.
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07/24, 2:55pm
Yahoo Music DRM deadline
All ability to copy or transfer tracks bought through Yahoo Music will end with the month of September, an announcement indicates. Beginning on October 1st the company is shutting off the delivery of DRM keys for tracks, a move which should leave the music playable locally, but difficult if not impossible to copy to a portable player, second hard drive, or compact disc. The deadline follows months after the closure of Yahoo Music sales, which have since been replaced by a partnership with Real's DRM-free Rhapsody service.
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07/24, 12:10am
iPhone Monkey Ball hack
A group of hackers say they have cracked Apple's close Fairplay DRM on Sega's Super Monkey Balll for iPhone. A posting on Haklabs points to a download link for the pirated game. A number of users who commented on the site say they were succesfully able to run Super Monkey Ball on a jailbroken version 2.0 iPhone using SSH. Other users, however, said they couldn't get the game to work and questioned whether the hack was legitimate.
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06/26, 5:35pm
X360 DRM transfer tool
After several years of Xbox 360 owners having to remain signed into Live to access purchased content on exchanged or repaired consoles, Microsoft on Thursday finally unveiled a DRM Transfer Tool allowing users to play content without a Live connection. Gamerscore writes that the tool provides users with the ability to re-register their games and downloaded content once per year to a new console. The process will not work on movie files, since Microsoft does not consider the content to be "owned' by the user.
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06/12, 2:00pm
Can. Copyright Act tabled
The Canadian government's Industry Minister, Jim Prentice, has today officially tabled Bill C-61, a set of proposed amendments to the country's Copyright Act. Early versions of the changes have been criticized by thousands of citizens -- and a number of businesses and other organizations -- as overly harsh, and too close in nature to the United States' Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Prentice has defended amendments as necessary for bringing compliance with the World Intellectual Property Organization treaty Canada signed in 1996.
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05/20, 1:15pm
NBC on Vista TV recording
Recent interference with Vista Media Center recording was accidental, NBC says. TV viewers last week reported being unable to record episodes of American Gladiators and Medium, and instead receiving messages saying that DRM restrictions had been enabled. This triggered a number of of online complaints, including concerns that NBC was attempting to deter the use of DVRs, which allow people to skip unwanted advertising and other distractions.
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05/16, 12:35am
Vista MC halts recordings
Users of Microsoft Vista's Media Center were unable to record prime-time NBC TV shows on Monday night. Reports maintain the problem was caused by a broadcast flag which activated Media Center's DRM copy protection measures, stopping recordings of over-the-air and cable broadcasts. Neither NBC nor Microsoft have an explanation for the issue, but are looking into it. No other reports of such problems came from users of either DirecTV or TiVo DVR services.
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03/20, 2:00pm
BD+ protection cracked
The latest effort at blocking unofficial copying of Blu-ray movies has been undone, the developers of a cracking utility claim. AnyDVD 6.4.0.0 adds the ability to bypass BD+ encoding, used on a number of discs to prevent either direct copying, or ripping to a hard drive. This change is said to particularly affect releases from 20th Century Fox, who have led the adoption of BD+, while other companies continue with variants of AACS. AnyDVD is now also better compatible with regular DVDs using Arccos protection.
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02/25, 11:05am
Hymn Project shuts down
The creators of the Hymn Project have once again been forced to shut down, a site moderator has announced. Apple has served the current website with a cease-and-desist order, insisting that all downloads of the associated software be removed. The moderators are further blocking anyone from linking the software on the site, or even pointing people to functionally similar applications.
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01/24, 3:45pm
Yahoo DRM-Free Leak
Yahoo is in talks to revamp its music store to remove copy protection, says a report from the Chinese news agency SINA. Two record label executives have allegedly confirmed that Yahoo is in preliminary negotiations to change its service from its current, Windows Media protected format to an unspecified, unguarded format that would be interchangeable between devices and players. Yahoo spokeswoman Carrie Davis has confirmed that the company has discussed shedding digital rights management (DRM) on its music with labels but has also denied any new escalation in talks.
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01/11, 3:20pm
EMI threatens IFPI, RIAA
Major label EMI may be leaving the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), reports say. Its executives are further said to be engaged in talks with Warner, Universal and Sony BMG, in an attempt to alter the priorities and structure are several trade groups, including the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). EMI sent a letter to IFPI officials for that very reason, claiming that it would abandon its membership unless the organization conformed to EMI's interests. Funding to the IFPI could be cut off by March 31st.
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01/07, 10:25am
Napster to switch to MP3s
Online music service Napster, which has for some time only sold tracks in a protected Windows Media Audio format, will soon begin selling music in the form of unprotected MP3s, according to Reuters. Starting in the second quarter of 2008, at least a portion of the files sold or offered via subscription will be unprotected, in what may perhaps be the most significant such announcement since Amazon's digital store launch. Napster claims to have some 750,000 subscribers, who make use of both plans and permanent downloads.
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01/04, 9:40am
Lawsuit: Apple is monopoly
Apple has become a monopoly, a recent lawsuit against the company alleges. The case was filed by one Stacie Somers, who says that the company's dominance in media players, and online music and video, violates the Sherman Antitrust Act; specifically, the Somers complaint revolves around Windows Media Audio, which is notably unsupported by both the iPod and iTunes, despite the fact that it is one of the most common music formats for sale, and it is said that Apple could easily afford a license from Microsoft. Somers estiamtes the maximum cost of a license at $800,000. Some vendors of WMA tracks include Best Buy, Yahoo, Napster and Virgin Digital.
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12/24, 6:25pm
Apple files DRM patent
After many years of having its software not subject to copy protection or digital rights management, Apple may be looking to correct this with a new patent application entitled "Run-Time Code Injection To Perform Checks". PC World reports that the patent, dated December 13th, would be some sort of digital rights management system that would "restrict execution of that application to specific hardware platforms." Apple notes that some users that are proficient at circumventing protection methods could easily bypass dongles or encrypting software if it is worth enough to them, so Apple's approach relies on hardware-embedded cryptographic key mechanism that would inject bits of code into the application's execution stream, generating data that compares the digitally signed code with the DRM module.
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12/21, 1:55pm
MS No-Skip Video Ad Patent
Microsoft is attempting to secure a patent for technology that would prevent users from skipping ads in downloaded videos, according to a new filing with the US Patent Office. The technique would insert a digital rights management (DRM) token inside the file that would prevent users from playing the intended video until relevant ads are viewed. It would also allow a content producer to insert ads into a downloaded video at its own discretion.
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11/28, 4:55pm
Deutsche Grammophon store
The Universal-owned Deutsche Grammophon, a famous international classical label, has at last launched its own digital online store. While much of the music found on the site can also be bought elsewhere, the DG Web Shop is already playing host to some 600 albums which are no longer on CD, with more out-of-print titles expected in the future. Total album count is currently near 2,400. Perhaps most important is the music's format: while Universal has already been selling some music DRM-free, the DG site goes a step further by using an ultra-high 320kbps bitrate. Even Apple's iTunes Plus service limits files to 256kbps.
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