Wonder-twin powers activate, form of, excessive DRM! Sandisk and Real have announced a partnership to deliver the next entry in the DRM market. The deal will couple a modified version of the Sandisk e200 device to Real's Rhapsody, just as Apple's iTunes and iPod are irrevocably linked. Rhapsody is currently based on the (now vulnerable) Microsoft PlaysForSure system, and will apparently remain so for users of existing devices. However, with Zune showing a strategic shift away from PlaysForSure by Microsoft, it's anyone's guess how long the platform will continue to be viable.
"This is kind of a way for both Rhapsody and SanDisk to say, `Well, if you're gong to compete with [us], guess what, we're gong to compete with you,' " said analyst Phil Leigh of Inside Digital Media.
Hypebot says of the deal, "The stated goal of all of this may be ease of use, but the hidden demon is that purchased and rented music could be stuck within a single company's system and consumer choice limited to those offered by that provider."
[via Hypebot]
1. The Sandisk partnership makes use of Real's open-source Helix DRM.
The main reason for this initiative was frustration with the poor quality of Plays For Sure compliance and support.
Real's objective has always been to promote interoperability - that's why they're the only non-Apple company store enabling you to buy tracks and put them on your iPod.
Posted at 10:53PM on Sep 19th 2006 by Jinsai