Microsoft To Limit Playback - Surely Not!

There have been reports that Microsoft will limit the Zune to playing only files purchased from the Zune DRM system.

This surely is a load of rubbish. Despite Apple trying to do the same with the iPod and iTunes, the vast majority of tracks on people's iPods have been legally copied from their own CD collection or downloaded from other sources.

Microsoft wouldn't be so foolish to limit access to music and video when the whole ethos of the Zune is social networking.

It seems even more unlikely when you consider that Microsoft already run the "PlayForSure" system which allows people to legitamely download and play content.

But perhaps they are that dumb or have "cow-towed" to the demands of the media industry when you read the Electronic Frontier Foundation commentry:

"Microsoft's Zune will not play protected Windows Media Audio and Video purchased or 'rented' from Napster 2.0, Rhapsody, Yahoo! Unlimited, Movielink, Cinemanow, or any other online media service."

because:

Buried in footnote 4 of its press release, Microsoft clearly states that “Zune software can import audio files in unprotected WMA, MP3, AAC; photos in JPEG; and videos in WMV, MPEG-4, H.264? — protected WMA and WMV (not to ention
iTunes DRMed AAC) are conspicuously absent.

And when we said recently that you can only share music between Zune's for three days, because they wrap all content in DRM when sent, we know the inclination is there!

So, unless Microsoft get these features sorted ASAP, the Zune is looking increasingly like it'll be "still-born".