Crippleware from Microsoft?
A blogger and intellectual property activist claims that Microsoft's upcoming Zune music player can't play the songs people have already purchased from a variety of music download services like Rhapsody. These songs use Microsoft digital rights management software to prevent piracy, and Microsoft either can't or won't "crack" that software to allow users to play the songs on their new music players.
If correct, this is one heck of a screw-up, and another reminder of the dark side of digital rights management.
I begin to wonder if the music industry and everybody else wouldn't be better served by saying the heck with it. Just sell the music in unrestricted form, and trust the customers not to abuse the privilege.
Hey, it could work...