DRM in the news

There’s a couple pieces of digital rights management news this week as HP announced its working on DRM scheme for DVD discs while the MP3 patent holder announced a DRM-enabled version of the popular audio codec.

HP is working with Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV to build new forms of copy protection into DVDs based on the FCC’s “broadcast flag” ruling. The broadcast flag allows content providers to add code to digital broadcasts (TV or recorded) that specify how the content can be used. Allegedly, the HP/Philips system will allow people to make legal copies of programming to recordable DVDs.

MP3 license holder Thomson says it will build a DRM system for MP3 files to help make the format more appealing to the recording industry. Currently, standard MP3s are not protected by any sort of DRM, allowing users to trade them at will. The biggest problem with the DRM version of MP3s is that the newer format may not be compatible with the current generation of MP3 players – a fact sure to anger consumers.