LOLDRM

ZOMG MICROSOFT’S NEW “UNCRACKABLE” DRM

Information Week’s Alexander Wolfe gives a report on Microsoft’s new patented technique that they call “Stealthy audio watermarking”.

WHY IT WON’T WORK:

“Watermarking isn’t encryption and it doesn’t necessarily prevent unauthorized playback. On the other hand, it can serve in place of any other type of DRM, if the playback system (i.e., the MP3 player or online music store) requires the presence of the watermark before it’ll let you listen to your file.”

NOBODY IN THE FORSEEABLE FUTURE IS GOING TO BUY AN MP3 PLAYER THAT DOESN’T PLAY UNENCRYPTED FILES. AND NO COMPANY WOULD BE CRAZY ENOUGH TO SELL ONE.

Hahaha, sorry I’ll calm down. Even if it was ever implemented the players would be cracked and the watermarks would be stripped in a week or two tops, anyway.

To be fair to watermarking though, at least it doesn’t necessarily prevent fair use and content shifting like encryption schemes do.

THX 4 PIC: altemark