Wired: Rethinking Music Security

Fri, 25 May 2001 09:44:52 +0100

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http://www.wired.com/news/mp3/0,1285,43983,00.html?tw=wn20010522

Rethinking Music Security 
By Brad King 
2:00 a.m. May 22, 2001 PDT 

The major media companies are racing to get their content online, despite
the faltering of the organization designed to solve the inherent problems
with digital distribution. 

Last Friday, a consortium of more than 100 content and technology companies
called the Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) <http://www.sdmi.org/>
failed to reach a consensus on a screening application that would enable
media players to distinguish between secure and unsecure files. 

The lack of agreement means that for yet another year, portable and PC
media players will continue to play both secure and unsecure music files
and MP3 files. 

This is a problem for record companies waiting for a security system that
would prevent users from listening to music that has its anti-theft
measures removed. Nevertheless, recent movement by the major media
conglomerates suggest mass digital distribution is coming soon, perhaps
this fall. 

For consumers, the lack of a standard in secure formats presents a
different problem. For example, the infrastructures for InterTrust and
Microsoft players aren't compatible with each other. This means users must
have multiple players loaded onto their desktop to ensure that all their
media files will play. 

SDMI's Phase II specifications were to provide hardware and software makers
with parameters to build players that would work with secure formats,
legally obtained MP3s and CDs, while blocking access to files that had been
hacked. But the consortium became entangled in its own internal politics,
which ended any chance of the screening specifications getting developed. 

"SDMI would work to prevent consumers from importing music downloaded from
Napster into a closed loop system," said Talal Shamoon, InterTrust
executive vice president. "But forums like SDMI just don't work to create
that kind of soft membrane because there are industries that don't work
together very well -- music, Internet technology and consumer electronics."

Now, the SDMI companies are rethinking how to attack the security problem.
The consortium will reconvene in September to work on new alternatives to
developing the screening technology. 

In the meantime, the two leading digital rights management companies --
including Shamoon's -- could be better suited to developing the very
systems the SDMI has so far been unable to create. 

InterTrust (ITRU) offers a more scalable solution to wireless distribution,
Shamoon said, because it doesn't require the processing power that Windows
Media does. But Microsoft (MSFT) offers entertainment companies near direct
access to the PC, thanks to its media player that is integrated into the
Windows operating system. 

Because of Microsoft's competitive advantage, it continues to explore
digital rights management solutions outside of SDMI. 

"We're investigating many technologies that fall into the watermarking
technologies," said Michael Aldridge, lead product manager for Microsoft
Windows digital media division. "But we need to implement these
technologies that are advocates for consumers and intellectual property
holders. We're just trying to strike the right balance between the consumer
experience and the intellectual property owners." 

In the last month, the parent media companies that own the five major
record labels have started to press ahead with plans to sell and distribute
music online. 

On Sunday, Vivendi Universal
<http://www.vivendiuniversal.com/homeflash/en/frameset.html> continued its
spending spree <http://www.wired.com/news/mp3/0,1285,43972,00.html>,
acquiring MP3.com in a deal reported to be worth $372 million in cash and
stock. 

According to sources familiar with the deal, Vivendi Universal plans to use
the technology infrastructure developed by MP3.com (MPPP) to power its
music subscription Duet, which was developed with Sony Music. 

EMI, Bertelsmann, and Warner Music have also created a clearinghouse
service called MusicNet that will provide third-party vendors access to
music from all three labels' catalogues. Bertelsmann, meanwhile, hopes to
deploy its Napster subscription service before the end of the summer. 

Vivendi also plans on merging its online properties, Farmclub.com and
Emusic.com, with MP3.com. Details of the new service are still unclear, but
MP3.com will continue to operate as an independent entity. 

[ends]
- -----
Owen Blacker
Senior Software Developer / InfoSec Consultant    Wheel: Clerkenwell
See http://www.owens-place.org.uk/pgp.html -- more about my PGP keys
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