jpinard
09-30-2008, 09:25 AM
Wal-Mart is going DRM free and is shutting down their DRM servers. Of course any music you purchased through the old service will be lost unless you burn it as an audio CD in the event you need to transfer the music to another device or do a system re-install. If you just copy the mp3's you won't be able to play them after a system change.
What I'm wondering is how can Wal-Mart not offer a replacement under circumstances where someone missed the message and changed computers (or upgraded their own)? I'd guess most people buying mp3's through WalMart are not technical enough to understand the difference between breaking the DRM by writing standard audio CD, vs. just copying .mp3's around.
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/09/26/walmart-shutting-dow.html
Both Yahoo and MSN have gone through similar transitions, but Yahoo offered an alternative to continue using your old music and MSN restarted their DRM server. In fact, I don't understand why legally they aren't forced to offer you a DRM-free version of your music if they're axing the previous methods? After all, you paid for it.
What I'm wondering is how can Wal-Mart not offer a replacement under circumstances where someone missed the message and changed computers (or upgraded their own)? I'd guess most people buying mp3's through WalMart are not technical enough to understand the difference between breaking the DRM by writing standard audio CD, vs. just copying .mp3's around.
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/09/26/walmart-shutting-dow.html
Both Yahoo and MSN have gone through similar transitions, but Yahoo offered an alternative to continue using your old music and MSN restarted their DRM server. In fact, I don't understand why legally they aren't forced to offer you a DRM-free version of your music if they're axing the previous methods? After all, you paid for it.