From: black.hole.4.spam{at}gmail.com (Don Hills)

In article , John Beckett
 wrote:
>
>Apparently the statement that the Zune has some kind of copy restricting
>wrapper has been withdrawn. The latest (did I read it via Slashdot??) is
>that files shared by a Zune are not altered or wrapped in any way. It's
>just that the Zune has a built-in restriction regarding how many times it
>will play a file received by "sharing" from another Zune.

Yeah, I saw (http://www.zuneinsider.com).

There's a lot that has not yet been clarified, though.

What we know so far:

1. You can download a DRM-free track from your PC and the Zune will play it
as often and for as long as you like.

2. You can copy that track to another Zune via the Wifi connection. The
receiving Zune will only allow 3 plays within 3 days of that track, and
will not allow it to be copied to another Zune.

3. After expiring, the track title and any metadata remains on the
receiving Zune until manually deleted. It wasn't stated explicitly, but the
inference was that the track itself is deleted.

Some unanswered questions related to the above points:

1. Can you upload that downloaded track again, to the same or another PC?
Many people also use their MP3 player as a file transporter for data files.
(I suspect the answer is yes.)

2. Can the track received by Wifi be uploaded to a PC? (I suspect the answer is no.)

3. Why does the title and "metadata" remain after the track
expires (and is, presumably, deleted)?
(I suspect it can provide the ability to automatically purchase and
download the track from an online store. But it may also be to prevent the
original sharer simply sending me another copy. That in turn raises another
question, what if another person wants to send me the same track? Does the
Zune remember which Zune it got the track from as well as the file details?
I suspect the "metadata" will include an MD5 checksum or similar
of the track to forestall someone changing the title of the track and
resending it.)


At best, Microsoft is limiting its prospects. I may permit, and want, my
work to be widely distributed. The unilateral restriction imposed by the
Zune means my work cannot be widely spread via Zune sharing. That's not a
copyright violation, though. I have the right to prevent/allow copying. I
do not have the right to insist that my work be copied.

--
Don Hills    (dmhills at attglobaldotnet)     Wellington, New Zealand
"New interface closely resembles Presentation Manager,
 preparing you for the wonders of OS/2!"
    -- Advertisement on the box for Microsoft Windows 2.11 for 286

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-5