Microsoft reverses copy protection stance

Microsoft's upcoming Windows XP Media Center Edition release just got a whole lot better and not because of technology, but philosophy. Media Center edition is a version of Windows designed to be at the center of a home's entertainment experience, recording, storing and serving digital audio and video to the consumer. But Microsoft's original plans included a system that would only allow recorded TV programs to be viewed from the harddrive or burned to a DVD that was only usable on the original computer. What good is a DVD if you can't use it elsewhere? Fortunately, the gang in Redmond came to its senses and lifted the protection scheme, allowing any program without built-in copyright controls to be burned to DVD and shared with anyone.