Apple deal with Fox extends DRM to DVDs

LAST WEEK, Apple finally landed a deal with major Hollywood studio, 20^th Century Fox. The deal will have the effect of putting Apple's Fairplay DRM files on Fox DVDs.

Fox has agreed to let its latest movies be rented and played via suitable equipment. That would be video Ipods and, presumably, the infamous Iphone, too.

This would be the first major use of Fairplay on gear outside Apple's own – if you discount the disaster that was the Motorola Rokr E2.

To date, only Disney has allowed its latest videos on Itunes.
We're not sure whether Itunes afficionados will be willing to go to all the trouble of transferring files from a DVD they've purchased just to rent it.

Presumably, they won't be able to transfer the video permanently because if that was the case, they'd only need to rent the video once, not purchase it.

Perhaps Duke Jobs is going to wait until Mac World San Francisco this month to explain exactly how all of this will work. For example, will PC owners using Itunes software be able to view the videos, too? µ

See Also
Motorola dumps Apple in favour of Linux