Janus of the Gates
p2pnet.net News:- Janus was the God of Gates in Roman mythology, which is kind of neat.
Because now ‘Janus’ is also the code name for Bill’s latest DRM software created to, "to make it easier for companies who want customers to rent songs or videos, rather than own them".
It’ll, "give songs and videos purchased through subscription services a sort of digital expiration date that works even when the data is transferred from a computer," says Microsoft in a puff release, adding in passing,
"The technology also protects the content against piracy."
For example, it says, "with the new technology a user could rent several movies for a long trip, download them onto a portable player and then watch the movies until the rental expires a month later."
When the rental expires a month later?
"A user also could rent songs for a set period and play them back on a portable player."
Right.
"At the moment the current subscription models that are out there are so hobbled by the fact that they cannot be taken away from the computer," Microsoft spokesman Jason Reindorp said.
"The new technology will work only with newly developed portable players, which Reindorp said are expected to hit the market in the next two to three months."
Apparently, The Promise of Janus has already "attracted support" from:
Content
AOL, The Disney Co, OD2
Service providers
CinemaNow, Movielink LLC, MusicNow LLC, Napster LLC, VirginMega France and Yacast
Consumer electronic device manufacturers
Archos SA, Creative, Dell, Digital 5, iRiver International, PRISMIQ, PURE Digital, Rio, Samsung Electronics, SimpleDevices and 2Wire.
Chip makers
BridgeCo AG, Equator Technologies, Imagination Technologies, Micronas, Motorola, Sigma Designs and SigmaTel.
