Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/08/google_drm_question/
Is Google DRM crippling culture as great as it seems?
By Ashlee Vance in Las Vegas
Published Sunday 8th January 2006 00:23 GMT
CES Opinion Anyone the least bit concerned about DRM (digital rights
management) technology would likely have been put off by Google co-founder
Larry Page's ho-hum approach to revealing the company's new proprietary
media locks. And with good reason.
"We have our own DRM that we're using," Page said, during a keynote at
CES. "We'll be open to other things, but (creating our own) seemed like
the easier thing to do."
Google's DRM will make its first appearance as part of a new video
downloading service. Page revealed that customers will be able
(http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/07/google_ces_pack/) to buy TV shows
from CBS, NBA basketball games and a host of other content with Google
serving as the delivery broker for the video. This move mimics other
technology companies - most notably Apple - which have struck deals with
large media houses to send video over the web for a fee.
Along with the service, Google has also released its own, slick video
player.
None of this is bad or surprising when examined from Google's perspective.
The ad broker has every right to push on with new businesses and use its
might, prestige and hype to secure prominent partnerships with the likes
of CBS. And, heck, if Apple and Microsoft can create DRM systems, then why
can't Google?
You can, however, see a crisis evolving for internet users and consumers.
Apple has a very locked down DRM system that revolves around iTunes and
iPods only. Microsoft has a lot of partners for its DRM, making it look
open and like a standard. Of course, the MP3 players and services that
support Microsoft haven't garnered near as much interest as Apple's rival
offerings. So, Microsoft isn't really a standard at all but rather a
small, less closed garden. Meanwhile, Real Networks comes off as a type of
neutral player that also has its problems by not being promoted on the
iPod and by relying more on a music rental service than a booming per song
shop like iTunes.
Now, you can add Google DRM and Google Video to this mess.
We might be less nervous about Google's DRM revelation if it provided more
information on the technology. Page refused to say anything beyond the two
sentences above, and played off the whole DRM thing as no big deal.
We also can't locate much of anything about Google DRM on the company's
corporate web site or fantastic blogs. Perhaps your Googling skills are
better than ours, and we welcome aid.
Is Google DRM simply a mechanism for protecting the videos of its partners
and making sure they get paid for their content? Or is it much broader
than that?
How will it work with Microsoft's DRM, Apple's DRM and Real's DRM? Will it
extend to music? If so, what will the limitations be on how often you can
copy songs or how many devices can store the tunes?
Google says that one of its corporate goals is to "do no evil." Hasn't it
just crapped all over that objective by entering the race to weigh down
our culture with cement bricks?
That last query may be over-dramatic. But, then again, it might not be.
Google has a long history of keeping its technology mechanisms and
intentions private. It won't say a lot about how Page Rank works. It's
never provided a policy on how it picks Google News stories. Heck, it
won't even let Register reporters visit the company's campus, and one of
our staff lives right down the street.
Having one of the world's largest and currently most powerful IT companies
announce that it has constructed a new DRM system and then not reveal a
single detail about the technology is just plain unacceptable.
Many of you – who have become obsessed with the god you call Googlor –
will no doubt suck down Google's DRM with pride.
Hopefully, some of you will be more careful and force the company to
answer a few questions first. CBS might make the TV shows, but we all
share the culture. ®
Related stories
Disk, laptop and sport heaven spotted through the smoke (8 January 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/08/ces_wrap_two/
Google makes bid to be a media mogul and PC doctor (7 January 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/07/google_ces_pack/
Hidden DRM code's legitimacy questioned (3 November 2005)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/03/secfocus_drm/
How Microsoft can 'kill' Google (22 September 2005)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/22/microsoft_google/
Apple share of MP3 player market to shrink... sort of (15 September 2005)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/15/apple_nano_analysis/
DVD Jon patches Google Video (30 June 2005)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/06/30/johansen_google_video_patch/
Inside Sun Labs - the best and the 'bots (2 May 2005)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/05/02/inside_sun_labs/
The Cell Chip - how will MS and Intel face the music? (3 February 2005)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/03/cell_analysis_part_two/
---
You are currently subscribed to telecom-cities as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To
unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Manage your mail settings at
http://forums.nyu.edu/cgi-bin/nyu.pl?enter=telecom-cities
RSS feed of list traffic:
http://www.mail-archive.com/telecom-cities@forums.nyu.edu/maillist.xml