NY Times: Studios Using Digital Armor to Fight Piracy. "Lying dormant in virtually every digital cable box in America is technology that can prevent viewers from recording certain programs to watch them later. Soon, several Hollywood studios are planning to tell cable operators to flip the switch." [Hack the Planet]

Just ran across this story on Slashdot.  This is the best DRM story I've read so far.  The fact that it's in the New York Times is a huge win.  Reporter Amy Harmon manages to capture the menace and sense of impending doom many of us feel.  It's also interesting to note how the entertainment oligopolies have refined their lies: DRM is now "a speed bump" -- a reminder for honest people -- rather than the outright theft of long-held rights it really is.

It's really sad that such honest, unvarnished reporting surprises me coming from a major outlet.  You're not going to see this story on ABC news -- Disney can't allow it.  If you read one DRM story this month, make it this one.

4:11:03 PM   

Microsoft's master plan to screw phone partner - full details. Sendo in the clowns [The Register]

I've been looking for more details on this case.  The Register has 'em.

When a startup I worked for had the opportunity to parter with Microsoft, there was a ton of discussion about whether the deal would be strategically advantageous.  In short, nobody on our team trusted Microsoft enough to partner with them, but nobody wanted to compete against them, either. 

The allegations made by Sendo (and I must stress that they are no more than allegations at this point) are a stark, vivid reminder of just how wrong things can go partnering with Microsoft: "misappropriation of trade secrets, common law misappropriation, conversion, unfair competition, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, two counts of negligent misrepresentation, two counts of breach of contract, fraudulent inducement and tortuous interference."

On the other hand, it's hard to be sympathetic with a startup that was willing to partner with a monopolist rather than compete on their own merits.  They chose to put all their eggs in one basket -- they assumed that risk.

2:45:23 PM