The Register: File swap nets will win, DRM and lawyers lose, say MS researchers. [Hack the Planet]

Ha!  A Microsoft researcher investigating DRM concludes that "vendors should sell their content unprotected and compete with the 'darknet' on 'convenience and low cost rather than additional security.'"  Erm, that's, well, exactly right.  It's nice to see a thinking individual take an objective look at the situation and come to the conclusion I've been advocating since this whole DRM debate began.

10:01:35 PM   

Sun presents XML Office challenge. Lines up partners [The Register]

This is an interesting move.  In retrospect, it seems obvious: get a standards body that's respected by XML people and has broad industry support to standardize file formats for office applications (spreadsheets, word processing documents, presentation slides, etc.).  Start with formats already in use by Open Source apps, add support to Microsoft's competitors' products, then shove the standard down Microsoft's throat.

But this took me by surprise; for some reason, I never thought of a standards organization bothering to standardize office file formats.  I hope this means Microsoft's corporate customers are getting serious about moving away from Microsoft products.  Alternatives to Microsoft Office all lack support for a global standard file format.  One way to solve that problem is to support Microsoft's formats, but you have to constantly play catch-up.  The other way to solve the problem is to get all of Microsoft's competitors to develop and support an open standard format.  This announcement is a step in that direction.

3:20:19 PM