Microsoft's Janus DRM Software Officially Unveiled

hype7 writes "News.com.com is reporting the official unveiling of Microsoft's new DRM system, internally dubbed 'Janus'. Interestingly enough, a wide variety of companies including AOL, Dell, Disney, Napster and Freescale, a subsidiary of Motorola, have all signed on to the technology. Whilst some content providers and producers are keen, it remains to be seen what consumers will think - 'the new digital rights management tools include features that would protect content that is streamed around a home network, or even block data pathways potentially deemed 'unsafe,' such as the traditional analog outputs on a high-definition TV set. That's a feature that has been sought by movie studios in advance of the move to digital television.' I love the quotes from the MS rep - 'This release of technology really enables all kinds of new scenarios that are emerging now,' said Jason Reindorp, a group manager in Microsoft's Windows digital media unit. 'We're taking quite a holistic view.' It's good to see Microsoft taking a holistic view of preventing the consumer doing what they want with their paid for content, and protecting us from unsafe data pathways."

Re:Janus

[Anonymous Coward]

It's not just a two-faced view, it's a holistic two-faced view.

DVD Jon...

[PCM2]

...your compiler is calling.

I'm already a step ahead in the DRM realm.

[miracle69]

I'm going to offer the movie studios the ultimate in DRM.

For a large fee, I'll cut the optic nerves in all of their customers, thereby preventing any unauthorized duplication or descriptions thereof.

Discussion Rules

[Anonymous Coward]

Apple DRM is fair and good and enables access to wonderful online content.

Microsoft DRM is evil and repressive and will smother your ability to use your computer.

Anyone violating these rules will be moderated accordingly.

Unsafe data pathways...

[DJBurgie]

I think it is ironic that M$ is working on a technology to help with "unsafe data pathways." How will a M$ product keep its content off of M$ products? The DRM that does not allow content. Sounds like a good way to keep it safe.

Re:Greed is one of the 'seven deadly sins'

[Mattintosh]

I inserted a random deity into the reading of the last paragraph of your post, and it happened to turn up "Janus." Oops. Should I try again?

Re:Full Text of Article

[YOU LIKEWISE FAIL IT]

Maybe the linefeeds are part of the DRM beta test. If Slashdot doesn't qualify as an "unsafe data channel", I don't know what does.

So...

[drakaan]

Did anybody else immediately think "now why did they name it something so close to 'anus'?"...

Re:So...

[rat7307]

Maybe it uses java

jANUS, the Java Pain in the Ass....

Janus and James Bond

[Mad Man]

Janus was also the Russian mafia crime boss in the James Bond movie Goldeneye [imdb.com] who **** SPOIILER ALERT *** turned out to be 006.

And speeking of dismal wordplay...

[missing000]

I rather like the term "unsafe data pathways" - what a wonderful euphemism!

I think I'll go play some morally questionable auditory material over an unsafe data pathway right now.

Okay, I'm scared.

[Mr. Darl McBride]

"Janus" was the software prodcut in Antitrust, where the Not Bill Gates, Honest character was killing people for getting in its way.

Is this a threat, Bill?

Thank you Bill

[l0ungeb0y]

I for one feel much safer knowing Microsoft is protecting me from media.

"or even block data pathways potentially deemed 'unsafe,' such as the traditional analog outputs on a high-definition TV set"

I assume that refers to the very dangerously analog visual display. Ohhh and be sure to make sure such dangerously analog outputs as speakers are disabled as well.

Next slashdot story...

[Bobb Sledd]

And the next /. story will be "Microsoft's Janus DRM Software Officially Compromised"...

Re:the end of computing as we know it is coming...

[minus_273]

thats why you get a mac..

unsafe data pathways

[MrLint]

Oh whenever i read another story about the libery crushing plans of DRM i recall the humorous humorous 'slashdot DRM Helmet'

It plugs that 'analog hole' by analyzing everything you hear and blocking it out if you dont have a license.

I wonder if some day in the future /. will be used as a prior art reference:)

Re:the end of computing as we know it is coming...

[rokzy]

>Communication between businesses, schools, and the rest of the world is important to those instituions. There's no choice.

exactly, and it's MS who don't have the choice.

imagine instantly splitting the internet into 2: those using Windows, and those not using Windows. do you really think that those not using Windows will change, cos I think 99% of all changes would be to the non-Windows internet.

individuals who want to surf and do email would change to linux, but you won't get businesses, academics etc. to change to windows.

Re:the end of computing as we know it is coming...

[Cpt_Kirks]

Also remember, IT'S MICROSOFT CODE!

Is it cracked yet?

"Mandated possibility"??

[sczimme]

What the *#%$ is a "mandated possibility"?

Re:the end of computing as we know it is coming...

[ka9dgx]

I refuse to believe the nightmare scenario where the election is stolen, an idiot becomes President, and starts a stupid war which makes us the Whore of Babylon...

oopps... too late.

--Mike--

Re:Janus

[LupeSpywalper]

Notably, Janus is the god of gates and doors but not windows;

I don't think Gates have a god, in most cases it seems like he thinks he is God.

Re:Janus

[TWX]

"Janus looks in two directions, not many; thus the pejorative usage indicating that the abusee is "two-faced". And quite appropriate; the face MS Janus presents to the music"

I just thought that if a Java version came out, it would be "J Anus" for a naming scheme...

Boy wouldn't that be true to form...

The truth about the name...

[Stuntmonkey]

"Janus" is really a Swing-compatible version of Microsoft's "anus" class. Janus is a producer class for all other kinds of Microsoft content.

Sorry. Too much Java lately.

Re:I wonder if Microsoft licensed the name Janus?

[Dcnjoe60]

God, I hate replying to my own posts, but I just did a google search on Janus and the third hit was for "The Society of Janus," which is a San Francisco based BDSM education/support group. Maybe that's who they licensed the name from. It would at least be more fitting for what they are trying to do.

Re:Can't stop copying...

[Performaman]

"Say you were a member of congress. And say you were an idiot. But I repeat myself." -Mark Twain

Re:How to legally copy any music, regardless of DR

[Trejkaz]

Sooner or later they will require you to listen to it through headphones where the signal is transmitted digitally and the headphones decrypt it internally. Sure, you can still head the signal off right before the speaker, but it makes it much harder.

And then after that, they just need to make versions where the digital signal goes all the way into your skull and hooks up directly into the brain. It will be much harder to head that off at the pass, but I'm sure it will still be possible.

In any case audio is the simple case. It's video I'm worried about because you can't just point a camera at the screen and record what it sees, expecting to get decent quality.

Re:What a comical spin by the marketing department

[senatorpjt]

Unless they manage to come up with a content delivery system that bypasses the need for ears and eyeballs, the analog path will always exist.

Re:the end of computing as we know it is coming...

[Master of Transhuman]

I prefer the term "free market" to "capitalist" as the latter has been irretrievably blackened by the behavior of virtually everyone in the business and political worlds.

Just a nitpick.