Universal challenges Apple with free music downloads

[Gizmo]

"The largest music company in the world, Universal Music, has issued a mind boggling challenge to the Apple dominated online music market by making its huge catalogue of music and videos available for free advertising-supported download. Microsoft will benefit because downloads will be compatible with Windows DRM supported MP3 players but not iPod."

Read more on the Front Page:
http://www.aoaforums.com/frontpage/content/view/1110/2/

[Pitch]

Bet the RIAA love that...

But good on them. I really hope this pays of for them and they realise the don't have to sue every computer owner in America..

[keithwalton]

Interesting ... I wonder how they will force the ads to show.
Also it might be set back after the recent complete circumvention of microsoft's drm protection

[Favu]

Originally Posted by keithwalton

Also it might be set back after the recent complete circumvention of microsoft's drm protection

That was patched within three days.

Unlikey XP security holes, say...

which take what... a week? If you're lucky...

[Gizmo]

Originally Posted by Favu

That was patched within three days.

Unlikey XP security holes, say...

which take what... a week? If you're lucky...

Actually, not really. The circumvention of DRM in WMV 10 has been around for over a year. It's just that the recent spate got public enough that MS decided to do something about it.

[Favu]

I was aware that it was around in rough forms, but that it was three days after an ap called FairUse4WM became public that MS patched up AFAIK.

[keithwalton]

Originally Posted by Favu

I was aware that it was around in rough forms, but that it was three days after an ap called FairUse4WM became public that MS patched up AFAIK.

That is what they would like you and there partners to think.
They may have identified the problem and indeed released a fix. But how are they going to implement it ?

Do the providers have to re encode all of there files with the new tools (my provider has over 2 million drm protected tracks) or are they going to try and force a drm update on the end users computer.

From the way i see it the problem isnt fixed as at this time it is still possible to download and remove drm from media.