[LINK] BigPond gives short notice for end of modifications of keys to DRMed WMA music

[Glen Turner]

Here's why you should not buy your music with Digital Rights
Management. Less than a month's notice to their longest
customers that their investment in products from BigPond Music
will be worthless when they next upgrade their computer.

The Trade Practices Act talks about availability of spare parts,
it's well time s74F of the Act was updated to include DRM schemes.


> *Dear BigPond® Music Member,*
>
> BigPond Music won't be supporting the Windows
> Media Audio ('WMA') file format after 1 April
> 2010. That means you won't be able to download new
> DRM (Digital
> Rights Management) 'unlock' keys for the WMA files
> you've bought from us already
> - so you should back up your music now.
>
> Any MP3 files you've bought from us won't be
> affected. Read further if you want to know more
> about WMA files.
>
> *Here's why you should back up your music.*
>
> As long as you keep using the same computer and
> operating system, you shouldn't have any trouble
> playing your WMA music files. But if you try to
> move them onto a new computer or operating system,
> they won't work if you don't transfer their DRM
> keys as well.
>
> Besides, backing up your collection is a good idea
> - for your MP3 files too.
>
> *So here's what to do.*
>
> You can back up your music collection now, by either:
>
> 1. Burning it to audio CD (Click here
> <http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/knowledgecenter/howto/burn_how_to.aspx>
>
> to find out how.)
>
> 2. Backing up your WMA files and licences
> separately (See how to do it here
> <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/265473>.)
>
> *Additional information on WMA's & DRM.*
>
> All our music was in the secure WMA file format
> when BigPond Music started. Whenever you
> downloaded a WMA file you downloaded it's
> encrypted Digital Rights
> Management ('DRM') code at the same time.
>
> DRM is a kind of lock and key system. The key
> unlocks the music so that it'll only play on your
> software. The downside of this security is that
> WMA downloads
> don't work on popular systems like Apple's iPod
> and iTunes software. It's also hard to move WMA
> files without downloading a new licence key.
>
> We started selling MP3 files without any DRM or
> licence key restrictions in August 2008. MP3's are
> a much more universal format that works on most
> digital music players and software. We stopped
> selling WMA files in March 2009, and only offer
> MP3 music now.
>
> *The BigPond Music Team*

-- 
  Glen Turner   <http://www.gdt.id.au/~gdt/>