That state-of-the-art MP3 audio player you bought two years ago may soon become outmoded.
Threatened by the ease of digital duplication, the music industry has paired with electronics companies to develop technologies that put digital locks on songs and limit how often they can be played or copied, and on which devices.
Some makers of electronics components are already building in the necessary microchips and software. These components will still allow the playing of unauthorized copies of digital content that hasn't been copy-protected, but eventually, machines not wired to unlock and play secured songs could go the way of the 8-track tape player.
"It's a very real possibility," said Mike McGuire, a Gartner Group analyst.
Options being considered by record labels include preventing consumers from burning a newly released CD more than once on a home computer, or restricting play of a song downloaded from the Internet to a single user's home and portable systems.
MusicNet and pressplay, two joint ventures set up by the world's major record labels to begin distributing music online later this year, are expected to restrict copying of downloaded songs.
Stopping musical overflow
It's all part of a concerted effort to block the unfettered copying of digital music -- consumer behavior spurred by music-sharing services like Napster and advances in recordable CD and compressed MP3 audio formats.
The recording industry and other content providers -- such as purveyors of audio books -- will have to proceed with caution as the new technology, known as digital rights management (DRM), is introduced. In choosing formats and deciding rules for distribution, playing and copying, they must be careful not to anger the music-loving masses.
"It's not an easy task," said Michael Aldridge, product manager for the Windows Digital Media Division of Microsoft, a leading provider of technology that is working closely with the recording and consumer electronics industries.
"While you're respecting the rights of the copyright holder, you have to create it so it doesn't get in the way of the consumer using the content," Aldridge said. "If it's incredibly secure and hard to use, then no one will buy it."
All the major makers of portable MP3 audio players have been DRM-ready since last year, said Susan Kevorkian, an International Data Corp analyst.
Home audio systems, including a new crop of digital entertainment receivers, are starting to do the same.
Computer hard drives and other kinds of storage devices, such as memory cards and minidiscs, may also soon come equipped with digital locking mechanisms.
Intel Corp, IBM Corp, Toshiba Corp and Matsushita Electric Industrial, which is known for its Panasonic brand, have jointly developed a technology for hard drives that can be used to make sure a copy of a music file plays only on the devices of the person who purchased the file.
SONICblue Inc's popular Rio MP3 players have had built-in copy-protection technology since late 1999, said the company's chief technology officer, Andy Wolfe. Like those of rival manufacturers, the players can also still play non-secured content.
Compatibility
At the moment, the Rio devices support Microsoft's copy-protection software and will soon support Intertrust's as well. Rio devices are designed so that they "all are upgradeable and will support multiple DRMs," Wolfe said.
Newer model Rio players also are among a dozen devices that can play audio books purchased online from Audible Inc.
Audible's copy-protection system gives customers unique identification codes and makes them register their PCs and portable MP3 devices with the company. If a customer buys a title, it would be playable only on the limited number of devices linked to the customer's account.
Analysts say many device makers will likely follow the Rio player's flexible approach, since it remains unclear which copy-protection standards will prevail.
There are about 10 DRM software formats for audio, and more are expected to surface, said Joshua Duhl, an International Data Corp analyst.
For now at least, components are being configured to support multiple copy-protection formats -- meaning consumers will not need to buy a different audio device for every different format. It's just a question of upgrading the software.
`Future proof' microchips
That's why Texas Instruments Inc, which along with Cirrus Logic Inc leads the audio chip market, is building "non-denominational" and "future-proof" programmable chips for audio players, freeing device makers from having to commit to a single format.
"DRMs are here to stay, but what you and I can do exactly with our content isn't defined yet," said Randy Cole, chief technologist for Internet audio at Texas Instruments.
Similarly, Reciprocal Inc has positioned itself as a "Switzerland of DRM technology," offering digital media distribution services to content providers and device makers who need DRM flexibility, said Matt Moynahan, the company's senior vice president of corporate development.
Reciprocal's client list has grown from one in 1998 to 138 today, including Sony Music Entertainment and Zomba Records, home of Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys.
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