SDMI and The Real World (tm) (Score 1)

When / if SDMI is ever deployed people are going to have access to all aspects of the technology. Being able to examine the watermaking and checking binaries, and being able to examine the same stream pre- and post- watermarking, will make the task considerably easier.

Even if it were deployed and not cracked, it's hard to see how it will gain any market share. Traditional formats take a long time to die. Most new music exists on both tape and CD, some is still on vinyl, and there will be a large market for these formats for a long time to come. Music companies use whatever formats offer a viable market. How many of these companies (and artists) will want to go all digital and lose revenue stream from traditional formats? Until then compression schemes that home users can apply are going to be where it's at...