Universal Music Group to offer non-DRM music downloads

Universal Music Group (UMG) plans to test selling non-DRM music through a number of outlets (basically everyone except iTunes). This move follows EMI who made their entire catalog DRM-free, but at a not so great bitrate. Story Here: UMG’S SOUND CHECK Universal Music Group has been “one of the fiercest guardians of its artists’ copyrights.” Granted, [...]

Digg.com and the AACS code, a legal perspective

The ABA Journal reported on the mass of postings on Digg.com last month of a 32 letter and number series which can be used to circumvent DRM in blu-ray and high-def. DVDs (you’ll need some software too) (this was posted elsewhere, I like the http://09-f9-(etc).com/ URL and the ThinkGeek t-shirt) A user would post, they would [...]

DVD Copy Control Association v. Kaleidescape: copying DVDs for personal use legal

Apple 2.0: Is DVD Ripping in Apple TV’s Future? This week Apple announced the end of DRM for iTunes. The market spoke and, apparently, someone is finally on the side of the customer. See this article at the Economist. Belatedly, music executives have come to realise that DRM simply doesn’t work. It is supposed to stop [...]

Atlantic v. XM Satellite Radio trial a go; Platform Equality and Remedies for Rights Holders in Music Act introduced

Stories at  MSNBC.com, orbitcast.com, engadget.com. U.S. District Judge Deborah A. Batts denied XM’s motion to dismiss (full text below), greenlighting the trial in which Atlantic Recording Corp., BMG Music, Capitol Records Inc. and others music companies accuse XM of infringment. The plaintiffs claim (link to complaint) that devices combining both XM radio and MP3 players (“XM + MP3″) , [...]

Consumer Electronics Association President and CEO Gary Shapiro critical of RIAA

CEA: RIAA refuses to cooperate, carries out “thinly veiled attack” on fair use (via Ars Technica) CEA President Gary Shapiro said, “Although the RIAA continues to try to muddy the waters, this much remains clear: the music industry no longer agrees that a consumer’s right to make a first generation copy of a song includes the [...]

New French copyright bill cracks open DRM

French copyright bill to shake up music download market The French National Assembly approved a digital copyright bill that will require DRM developers to reveal details of their technology to rivals that wish to build interoperable systems. Look for push back from Apple (Fairplay DRM in iTunes and iPod) and Microsoft (Microsoft’s Windows Media DRM).