Western Digital DRM

It is reported that Western Digital utilizes DRM software to restrict users from sharing certain media files over the Web with the company's My Book external hard drive as a safeguard to prevent the units from becoming illegal media servers.

• Google News: Western Digital DRM

• Channel Register: Western Digital Drive Is DRM-crippled for Your Safety (December 7, 2007)
  • Despite being billed as a "surprisingly simple and secure way to access and share data and photos" the new Western Digital 1TB My Book World Edition bans over 35 file types - including AAC, MP3, AVI, DivX, WMV, and Quicktime files.

• PC Magazine: Western Digital NAS Prevents Remote Media File Sharing (December 7, 2007)
  • "Basically, the MyBook World Edition blocks pretty much every type of media file format there is -- unless you know the proper login and password. MP3 files, MPEG files, AVIs, you name it. Not only can't you share them, but they won't even appear."

• Gadget Lab: Western Digital DRM'd Hard Drive Won't Let You Share MP3, DivX ... Or Impulse Tracker (December 6, 2007)

• Western Digital: What Files Cannot Be Shared?
  • "Due to unverifiable media license authentication, the most common audio and video file types cannot be shared with different users using WD Anywhere Access."
• Wikipedia: Digital Rights Management
• DefectiveByDesign.org: What is DRM?
• DRM.info: Digital Restrictions Management

• Google Blog Search: Western Digital DRM

• Gizmodo: Western Digital 1TB MyBook Drives Infested With DRM?

• BetaNews: Western Digital Bans Sharing of Media on Mybooks

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