MRT: Apple, Microsoft, Real, Adobe do not use enough DRM
By Slimy, 12 May 2007 - 20:48 42 comments
According to Media Rights Technologies (MRT), Vista, Flash, RealPlayer, and iTunes are infringing products under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and MRT has just sent cease-and-desist letters to Microsoft, Adobe, Real, and Apple. "Together these four companies are responsible for 98 percent of the media players in the marketplace. We will hold the responsible parties accountable. The time of suing John Doe is over," said MRT CEO Hank Risan in a statement.
Microsoft, Adobe, Real, and Apple make media player software which can tune into digital music streams, many of which are transmitted without any sort of DRM attached. These streams can potentially be acquired using streamripper software. MRT claims that all four companies should have used one particular form of DRM, MRT's "X1 SeCure [sic] Recording Control." The company is threatening the four with lawsuits that could lead to "statutory damages of at least $200 to $2500 for each product distributed or sold". The legal argument at work here is that, under the DMCA, "mere avoidance of an effective copyright protection solution is a violation of the act."
Hank Risan claimed that "Stream Rippers [sic] are growing at the rate of well over 15 million units per month, with over 250 million user downloads in the last few years, costing the entertainment industry $20 billion to $50 billion annually. The problem has now eclipsed P2P file sharing as the #1 form of digital piracy." He also claims that Vista includes a built-in ripper (Sound Recorder) which can "deaggregate performance-based streams of unlimited duration and convert them into unprotected WMA downloads, easily uploaded onto Zune players." MRT seems to suggest that even using DRM is not enough, as it can be removed via a stream ripper. It implies that every media player on the market would have to use MRT's technology, or else, lawsuit.
News source: Ars Technica
Comments (42)
LTD - 12 May 2007 - 20:51
So here we are. You can't even record off the radio now.
GreyWolf - 12 May 2007 - 21:00
I suggest we just make whatever Media Rights Technologies produces or services illegal and be done with them.
EDIT: MRT has a service called "BlueBeat". It's streaming radio. Hmm.
xcopmanx - 12 May 2007 - 21:04
Agreed. I'm surprised that they haven't sued anyone for breathing yet. Maybe one day soon.
Buttus - 12 May 2007 - 21:17
i think the only amount of DRM they're going to be happy with is either fingerprints taken when you buy the stuff and have a reader on the device you license to play it, or a DNA test...
simsie - 12 May 2007 - 21:52
I thought you could protect WMA streams with DRM if wanted...
bdsams - 12 May 2007 - 22:09
so this company is sueing the biggest companies around for not using their products....
i dont get their case, they are sueing becuase this software can listen to music streams that are un protected...wouldnt it be dthe responsability of the company creating the stream to put some sort of DRM?
lodgepole - 13 May 2007 - 18:47
That's how I interpreted the article too. Cease and desist streaming unsecure music until you purchase our product? I mean come on. That's just plain crazy. Besides, don't these stream rippers work because they're captuing the music off the sound board in the music's raw form? or am I mistaken?
They need to go after the people committing the crimes, not the music providers. It would be the equivalent of suing Sony, BMG, etc for providing albums, tape, and CD's with no DRM. This ranks up there as one of the more stupid lawsuits.
+TCLN Ryster - 12 May 2007 - 22:09
Let me get this straight... they are suing Microsoft and the others for not using enough DRM... and on the other hand they sell DRM technologies? Doesn't that seem like a conflict of interest to anyone?
Primetime2006 - 13 May 2007 - 15:24
I'm surprised Johnson and Johnson hasn't sued all of us for claiming that we don't "buy enough shampoo".
What a joke is MRT. What kind of world is it where you can't even record off of the radio (and I'm sure VCRs are going to be illegal soon), but hey if you want to use our services (and pay) which are the same thing, that's fine.
Whatever.
Kyanar - 14 May 2007 - 05:08
Far from it. If you read the information on it, they literally sent Adobe/Microsoft/Apple/RealNetworks Cease and Desist for not using their DRM - thereby violating the DMCA for distributing a "circumvention device". (Reference: http://sev.prnewswire.com/multimedia-onlin...0052007-1.html)
ziper - 12 May 2007 - 22:09
So, they are taking on adobe, microsoft and apple in the same lawsuit? good luck
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WICKO - 12 May 2007 - 23:29
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stenorman2001 - 12 May 2007 - 22:32
This guy is going to get killed in court. He's suing these companies because they are not using HIS DRM software. Any sensible court would fine this guy for wasting their time. What an idiot!
testman - 12 May 2007 - 22:42
Why did the bloke only specify Vista as having Sound Recorder? If he wanted to be more accurate, he should've said that ALL versions of Windows since, I don't know, 3.x?, have had Sound Recorder. This idiot sounds fishy alright.
Dipso - 13 May 2007 - 13:08
Actually what he is ****ed off about is that the sound recorder in vista, unlike earlier versions, doesn't have a limit on how long a sample can be.
Express - 12 May 2007 - 22:46
Someone post a 'how to use' on Vista's built-in ripper.
I am curious how to deaggregate performance-based streams and convert them into WMA.
ThaCrip - 12 May 2007 - 22:56
here they go again claiming there loses... he said ... ""Stream Rippers [sic] are growing at the rate of well over 15 million units per month, with over 250 million user downloads in the last few years, costing the entertainment industry $20 billion to $50 billion annually." ... this is BS cause im 100percent sure that not ALL of the people who downloaded using streamrippers etc would have actually paid for it had they not had a way to obtain it for free.... so based on this fact there loses aint anywhere near what there claiming them to be.
but about the topic.... this is going to far they bitch about everything nowadays... i mean using streamrippers especially on low quality stuff (64bit rate) i would not even care about if i was in there situation since the quality is already low in the first place.
they might as well give up cause they cant stop technology no matter how many people they sue etc.... bottom line is people are going to get it no matter what if they pay or not etc etc etc