[IP] XM Radio pulls PC-based receiver over piracy concerns

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: PRIVACY Forum <privacy@vortex.com>
Date: September 7, 2004 11:54:32 AM EDT
To: dave@farber.net
Cc: lauren@vortex.com
Subject: XM Radio pulls PC-based receiver over piracy concerns

Dave,

You'll recall the buzz recently about a software package people were
using to collect *analog* copies of songs off XM Radio using a PC-based
receiver (which passed along the title information, etc. to the 
software).

XM has now killed distribution of that PC-receiver unit.

Unfortunately for XM, a very similar functionality is obviously possible
using any of their other receivers (or with any radio receiver for that
matter) -- keep in mind we're talking about analog copying, not digital.
The only big difference is if (or how easily) song title and related
information is captured as well, and there are several simple avenues
to dealing with that, especially given the Internet.

This one is a losing battle for XM and its ilk, despite content
providers' fervent hope of closing what they call the "analog hole"
to the greatest extent possible.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@pfir.org or lauren@vortex.com or lauren@privacyforum.org
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility - 
http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, Fact Squad - http://www.factsquad.org
Co-Founder, URIICA - Union for Representative International Internet
                     Cooperation and Analysis - http://www.uriica.org
Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy


 - - -

XM Radio pulls PC hardware amid piracy concerns

By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Story last modified August 30, 2004, 4:58 PM PDT

Owners of a controversial PC radio receiver are making a killing
selling their units on eBay following the unit's discontinuation over
music piracy concerns.

Before being quietly discontinued this month, the XM PCR was one of
several hardware devices sold by XM Satellite Radio to give its more
than 2 million subscribers satellite radio reception. In conjunction
with a third-party software title called TimeTrax, however, the PCR
let listeners download songs to their personal computers.

Since XM discontinued the PCR, units have fetched steep premiums on
eBay. The device, which retailed for about $50, is getting bids of
more than $350 in recent auctions, with sellers advertising the unit
as "discontinued" and "rare."

...

http://news.com.com/2100-1026-5330698.html



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