More info on DRM for internet radio

This is taken from Kurt Hanson's highly informative website found here http://www.kurthanson.com/archive/news/072307/index.shtml

***********************************************************************

SoundExchange spokesperson Richard Ades told RAIN today that, despite press reports to the contrary (see next story, below), his organization's request for “help” with streamripping is not necessarily a demand for DRM-protected streams.

Ades said that his group "[does not] think it's just DRM — we believe that there are a lot of potential technical solutions."

A letter sent by SoundExchange executive director John Simson to DiMA last Friday noted that an offer from the recording industry to cap the $500-per-channel minimum fee was provided that webcasters:

"1. immediately comply with their reporting obligations and move to full census reports of use within 90 days. We will work with services to ensure that reports are done in compliance with CRB rules and regulations; and

2. webcasters agree to Implement technology to prevent streamripping... provided such technology is feasible and is available on reasonable terms."

On that point, Ades noted that, "'feasible' is a very broad term — it doesn't mean just feasible in cost, but acceptable to the consumer as well. We don't know what's going to work."

Ades said that the parties are talking now about how to more clearly define such terms as "feasible" and "reasonable," "but we don't want to negotiate in the press."

Webcasters don't want their music libraries turned into music libraries on a listener's iPod any more than labels want that.

However, most observers (including all of us here at RAIN) feel that if streamripping ever becomes a genuine problem, lower-tech solutions (like adding cross-fades between songs) will be more effective than any form of DRM could ever hope to be.