iPod, mobile, Podcast, Web 2.0

Zune to illegally add DRM to podcasts?

Microsoft is to launch the Zune on November 14th according to its PR site.

This date is just in time for the American holiday of Thanksgiving. What is not clear from the site is if this is an American launch date of a global launch date.

I wrote, in not too glowing terms previously about the Zune. One criticism I missed at that time is that if someone shares one of my podcasts over wifi on the Zune, the Zune adds on its own DRM to my podcast, in direct contravention to my podcast’s Creative Commons Licence causing the podcast to self-destruct in three days or after three plays.

Can someone in Microsoft explain the legality of that to me please? ‘Cos to me, that’s just plain illegal.

9 thoughts on “Zune to illegally add DRM to podcasts?”

  4. Tom, the Diggnation guys covered this the other day. It isn’t true. Zune does enforce existing DRM, it does not add DRM to generic audio files.

  5. Interesting guys – I’m obviously behind the times in my reading/listening – however after a bit of catching up, it turns out that rumours of Microsoft’s lack of DRM are premature!

    True Microsoft’s Zune doesn’t make any physical changes to the file but it still restricts use of it which is a violation of the creative commons licence.

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  8. Hey guys just so you know the Zune DOES NOT wrapp wifi transmitted media of any type in a DRM. The Zune 3 day/3play system actually works by implacing a policy on the Zune’s inbox. This policy enforces any media with the (excpetion of image files) that end up in the inbox to a 3day/3 play restriction. All wifi transmitions automatically end up in the inbox.

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