Another Reason to Hate DRM: Microsoft Abandons MSN Music Customers

Ars technica reports that MSN Music customers that purchased music from the defunct service MSN Music service will have trouble transferring the music to other computers.

MSN Entertainment and Video Services general manager Rob Bennett sent out an e-mail this afternoon to customers, advising them to make any and all authorizations or deauthorizations before August 31. "As of August 31, 2008, we will no longer be able to support the retrieval of license keys for the songs you purchased from MSN Music or the authorization of additional computers," reads the e-mail seen by Ars. "You will need to obtain a license key for each of your songs downloaded from MSN Music on any new computer, and you must do so before August 31, 2008. If you attempt to transfer your songs to additional computers after August 31, 2008, those songs will not successfully play."

via Engadget.

Comments

[Gir]

First Virgin Music and now this.

The labels should be paying attention every time a company decides to shut down a DRM license server. I can't help but feel there will be hell to pay eventually, and it's the labels that are ultimately responsible for this mess.

[Gir]

PS. I read a quote from an MS exec that they were unaware of this potential repercussion to their customers. Can you say *bull*. People have been talking about this particular pitfall of DRM since about 20 minutes after DRM was first conceived.

[Old Timer Too]

I agree with Gir. Sooner or later, I think there will be a class-action lawsuit that will negate any and all profit anyone has ever made from this fiasco (at least, I hope so).

The RIAA, music industry, labels, and MS all should be named in the suit.

Anyone who has ever purchased any product with DRM needs to be fully and completely compensated for making any purchase that eventually will no longer be worth the storage space for the file.

[Mike]

I remember Steve Jobs saying years back that subscription services wouldn't work and the pay per download model was better because "people want to own their music". Like you ever really "own" DRM'd content. At least Steve is trying to kill DRM now.