They don't have access to it. They were talking about the possibility of creating an expanded service if one day there is significant user demand. If users didn't just want CD/DVD info downloaded for them, but also wanted recommendations for other music/movies based on their current library, then MS would have to somehow acquire info about their tastes to provide a recommendation.
This could be done, for example, by looking at what they currently own and querying a database of all available content and making a reccommendation based upon artist, genre, what titles in the user's library they listen to/watch most, etc. Most of this could still be done in a non-identifying way, but they would have to have a method of collecting the info from you. They could either present you with a webpage that asks you a lot of questions about your viewing/listening habits, or they could make an app (or new WMP) with a setting to allow your media download cache to be scanned in order to make a recommendation. This could work like Windows Update in that you allow the app or web app to scan your computer, but you can't be personally identified by the scan.
The guy that wrote the article is making a big deal out of nothing. How does he think WMP or any other CDDB app maintains his downloaded track info. If it didn't keep it in a file on his computer, he would be complaining about the app needing to connect to the net each time he plays a previously played CD/DVD.
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