Aaron Swartz explains why a cross-product, cross company DRM system is impractical:

The way DRM works, essentially, is that when you buy a song from the iTunes store it's encrypted with a certain secret key (presumably one a lot bigger than the number 5). To play the music, you need the key to decrypt it. But the only software that has the key is iTunes and iTunes will only decrypt it if you're following their rules -- only playing it on 5 separate machines, for example.

For "Open DRM" to work, Apple would need to give the key to other people who made music players. But as soon as Apple gives the key to someone, they can do whatever they want with the music. If the key gets out on the Internet, anyone can decrypt the songs. DRM only works because the key is secret. Open DRM is an oxymoron.

Now, I gave MS some crap for abandoning their "PlaysForSure" DRM system, but I didn't think that through - whether they were following Aaron's logic or not, that system was just untenable. The question is whether or not governments and the RIAA are smart enough to realize that, and how many more years of idiot answers we have to deal with before they realize it.

Now, before anyone brings up DVDs, recall that they've been cracked for years, and that pirates are copying DVDs before their general release already. The only people being hampered by the DRM on DVDs are law abiding people. A Great victory, that.

Technorati Tags: law, encryption, music, RIAA