Senators back DRM infection everywhere

US SENATORS are channelling the thoughts of the music industry again with a law aiming to shove DRM into every aspect of the net they can think of.

While every man+dog is starting to wake up to the fact that DRM is more trouble than it is worth, the US senate seems to think that it will solve the problem of web pirating, which its chums in the Music industry say is more important than curing cancer or global warming.

According to News.com, the Platform Equality and Remedies for Rights Holders in Music Act, or Perform Act was reintroduced by Senators Dianne Feinstein, Lindsey Graham, Joseph Biden and Lamar Alexander after a previous go was laughed out by the IT industry.

The idea of the new law is that Satellite and Internet radio services would be required to restrict listeners' ability to record and play back individual songs.

Under the rules all services using the interweb will have to pay "fair market value" for the use of copyright music libraries. While this sounds fine, the Music Industry has been extremely reluctant to reveal what it considers a fair market price for each song. This is because the RIAA has a complex pricing structure based on internal politics within the music business and what it thinks it can screw from online companies.

The rules follow the Music Industry's line on satellite radio and will order such outfits to have DRM installed on each single to prevent copying.

There is more about this here. µ