Apple, Microsoft p2p collaboration
p2p news / p2pnet special: Apple and Microsoft have teamed up in an unusual and, until now, secret partnership.
The two firms have developed unique anti-file sharing DRM (Digital Rights Management) technologies they say represent cast-iron guarantees of copyright protection.
The technologies – Apple’s Fair Play earbuds and Microsoft’s PowerHit – are slated for beta release in time for the Christmas rush, say sources.
The technologies were presented to a special session of Thursday’s US House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property oversight hearing, Content Protection in the Digital Age: The Broadcast Flag, High-Definition Radio, and the Analog Hole.
Present were the MPAA’s (Motion Picture Association of America) Dan ‘Jedi’ Glickman, the RIAA’s (Recording Industry Association of America) Mitch ‘The Don’ Bainwol, subcommittee chairman James ‘ Thailand ‘ Sensenbrenner, and Hollywood Howard Berman.
The special session was heard in camera.
The new DRM systems will be free to help people comply with Apple, Microsoft and forthcoming Hollywood Broadcast Flag standards, say p2pnet sources.
From December 1, all iTunes downloads will carry a new kind of Fair Play DRM, a direct negative feedback ‘watermark’ recognized by Fair Play earbuds and, ultimately, by other audio devices from manufacturers who sign up for the code, which was created under a joint SunnComm and Macrovision venture.
When an iPod (or other) user wearing the new audio devices plays an iTunes track not sanctioned by Organized Music (EMI Group, Vivendi Uiversal, Warner Music), Fair Play feedback ‘instructs’ the buds to emit a piercing, high-pitched scream in stereo at 250 decibels.
Microsoft’s PowerHit system is a DRM application keyed to the company’s Power Management technology. Starting at midnight on December 1, all users of Windows 2000 and higher will receive automatic system updates which will instruct desktops, laptops and PDAs running appropriate MS OS software to release a 125-volt anti-p2p DRM ‘charge’ into computer chassis every users attempt to play unauthorised iTunes tracks.
‘We’re thrilled by this new plan to protect our investors from the depredations of p2p file sharers,” says Apple boss Steve Jobs in a press release draft seen by p2pnet.
“We hope this collaboration will spell the beginning of new relationships between ourselves and Apple, which ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh,” says Microsoft’s Bill Gates.
Stay tuned.
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First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win
- Mohandas Gandhi
Tired of being treated like a criminal? They depend on you, not the other way around. Don’t buy their ‘product’. Do bug your local political representatives. Use emails, snail-mail, phone calls, faxes, IM, stop them in the street, blog. And if you’re into organizing, organize petitions, organize demonstrations and then turn up on your local political rep’s doorstep, making sure you’ve contacted your local tv/radio station/newspaper in advance.
November 5th, 2005 at 4:06 pm
is this true?
November 5th, 2005 at 4:37 pm
lol what do you think?
November 5th, 2005 at 4:45 pm
I think (hope) this is article is a load of crap, if it was true it would be illegal, impossible and break health and safety laws.
November 5th, 2005 at 4:46 pm
It’s so unreal it could be real. But it’s a spoof. For now.
We ran another [http://p2pnet.net/story/5301] about the MPAA and RIAA starting a joint ‘trade’ organization. It’s starting to look less like a spoof and more like the real thing every day.
Cheers!
November 5th, 2005 at 6:45 pm
I guessd it was a spoof, but I would not put it passed them, I bet they would love a system like that, ear phones that blow your ears and detonating computers.
November 5th, 2005 at 7:06 pm
yeh and don’t forget Orrin Hatch wanted to blow up computers of file sharers remotely so its not as far fetched as it seems.
November 5th, 2005 at 8:48 pm
Everything in this article is believable and possible considering what the big corporations are demanding. There is one flaw that is not believable though, Apple and Microsoft will never team up!
November 5th, 2005 at 9:16 pm
You guys have got to stop posting nonsense like this if you want to be treated and viewed as an actual news source.
November 5th, 2005 at 11:34 pm
This is a news site?
November 5th, 2005 at 11:37 pm
Check out http://www.distrowatch.com for alternatives (free) to those proprietary SHITZZZZ….
November 6th, 2005 at 2:14 am
What a load of crap. The first giveaway is the “250 decible screech” Only an Atomic bomb is that loud. Can you imagine the lawsuits when little Johnny goes deaf trying to listen to the Blink 182 song he downloaded?
LMAO!
November 6th, 2005 at 4:06 am
MMMMMMMmmmmmm……….
This constant wrangling for mind-share and litigation got me thinking.
Sure it’s great we have many websites where free-music-movie loving people can share opinions about the illegal tactics of the RIAA & MPAA.
But, it would be AWESOME if we can CREATE music and movies that are consumer-friendly to compete with the cartels.
Blender’s ORANGE project (www.blender.org) is a great example. And “fan films” are okay. BUT WE NEED MORE!!!
It would be really nice if there are online movie/music CREATION COMMUNITIES out there —- Let me know if you are aware of any.
Like the saying goes, “Don’t fight the media, BE the media!!!!”
November 6th, 2005 at 5:54 am
Ofcourse this isn’t true! p2pnet played a little prank on us..
November 7th, 2005 at 4:05 pm
gl;;g/lo
November 8th, 2005 at 5:14 pm
PR responds to this article.
SunnComm Denies Published Reports of Joint Venture
http://biz.yahoo.com/pz/051108/89378.html
November 9th, 2005 at 10:04 am
What a complete dumbass the president and CEO of SunnComm is. It is obvious to everyone that the article was a spoof. Even Jon wrote so himself.
This guy continues to put his foot in his mouth. This from 2 years ago:
SunnComm CEO demands to be called a ‘laughing stock’
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/10/16/sunncomm_ceo_demands/
Of course when you are a sham company, any publicity helps
Is SunnComm a sham or the next, big DRM success?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/09/27/sunncomm_death_or_glorry/
One should never forget their many misdemeanors, some reported to the SEC (4 in this document)
http://www.our-street.com/SEC-SunnComm4.htm
November 9th, 2005 at 10:36 am
Its bad enough that the SunnComm CEO was so stupid that he didn’t even realise the article was a spoof, even though Jon admitted it in one of the above comments, and felt the need to deny some of the obvious statements made in jest:
“SunnComm Denies Published Reports of Joint Venture”
http://biz.yahoo.com/pz/051108/89378.html
but it seems this guy has entered into a transaction that will pay himself $1M guaranteed in shares, in addition to $100K pa consultancy fee and very generous stock options.
It is with MediaMax Technology Corporation. This company was exposed on p2pnet as a sham last year.
“SunnComm to MediaMax Technology Corporation: A rose by any other name?”
http://p2pnet.net/story/4567
When MediaMax Technology Corporation merges back with SunnComm (and as that article asked, why did they separate in the first place?), Jacobs will act as a consultant to the company. This is his renumeration:
“Mr. Jacobs will be paid a consulting fee equal to $100,000 per annum for his services. In addition, the Company agreed to issue Mr. Jacobs 10,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock on or promptly after January 1, 2006, which shares he may cause the Company to repurchase for $.10 per share within 30 days following the second anniversary of the effective time of the SunnComm merger, and granted to Mr. Jacobs options to purchase 15,000,000 MediaMax shares, 10,000,000 of which are exercisable at $.05 per share and 5,000,000 of which are exercisable at $.075 per share”
http://biz.yahoo.com/e/051104/mmxt.ob8-k.html
Of course a company earning millions of dollars every year can afford be extravagant to its mates…. Oops did I say millions of dollars revenue. Lets check that now….
2003 – $0 revenue
2004 – $106K
2005 (to June 30th) – $99K
OMG – the poor shareholders!
One can only pity the long suffering shareholders of SunnComm (and MediaMax Technology Corporation) who have seen their shares fall in value from about 70 cents to 3 cents today. The 70 cent high was achieved when the stock price tripled following the release by Jacobs of a press release with a Taiwanese company that has since been proven to be non-existent.
SunnComm Inks $20+ Million Copy Protection Deal With Major Pacific Rim CD Manufacturer
http://www.cdmediaworld.com/hardware/cdrom/news/0012/sunncomm_cd_protect.shtml
Yes, Will-Shown Technology Co., LTD does not exist. They press release was a complete fabrication to pump the stock price.
Perhaps the SEC may take him to task before he can take advantage of the lucrative $1M fee.
November 9th, 2005 at 7:54 pm
http://www.ccmixter.org
http://www.soundnet.co.uk
The ccmixter site releases their source code under the name ‘cchost’ and there are a couple of other sites out there using it. Look on the Creative Commons wiki for a list of those.
As sites like these grow, I see no reason why any record label, major label or not, needs to exist. Saying that, labels that embrace new technology and business models can have their place in the world of music in the 21st Century. Those that have become old and outdated have no place.
November 10th, 2005 at 12:32 pm
Microsoft continues to buy VoIP companies – after Teleo this summer, MS bought Swiss VoIP company (Media-streams.com) last week. What do you think would be Skype’s value if MS (or Google) buys GIPS (current voice engine provider to Skype)? Just wondering.
November 27th, 2005 at 10:51 am
Try http://www.creativecommons.org and http://www.ccmixter.org