November 03, 2006
DRM again
Another reason DRM is bad: when the service imposing the regime goes belly-up, support for your files goes away.
Microsoft is discontinuing it's MSN Music service in favor of Rhapsody, which is designed to be compatible with its new Zune player. This isn't entirely surprising. What is surprising is that MSN files won't play on the Zune, nor is there any way authorized way for upgrading those MSN files to something that will.
You aren't buying your music. You're leasing it. I don't think it takes a Ph.D. to see why this sucks.
The MSN closes but people that bought music from it will not have any problem.
Microsoft will continue to support the MSN music DRM, so the music files will not stop playing.
Posted by: Zune-Online.com at November 3, 2006 02:20 PMAnd the PR drones have found me. Flee in terror.
Note that I never asserted that the DRM will prevent access to the files. I only asserted that the DRM will not be supported by new mp3 players, and there is no authorized way of upgrading to files that will.
Posted by: ryan at November 3, 2006 02:40 PM