Myth: Windows Vista is loaded with new forms of digital rights management (DRM) that will make the Vista experience more frustrating than ever.
Reality: A new code-checking subsystem that protects the Windows Vista kernel and signed drivers is arguably a new form of DRM. How well will it perform in the field? We won't know until new hardware to take advantage of these features hits the streets.
Much of the DRM code in Windows Vista is a a straightforward upgrade of the infrastructure introduced in Windows XP and Windows Media Player 10. There's some confusion over whether and how DRM-encrypted music tracks from the new Zune service will interoperate with tracks from older rights-protected services certified with the Plays For Sure logo, even the much-hyped MTV Urge service, created in partnership with Microsoft. But in general, that code is just an evolution of the original Windows Media DRM.
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