What is empeg's official position regarding SDMI and other recording industry's efforts to force consumers pay them for the music more than once? Will 'watermarking' have any effect on empeg itself or emplode? What is the legal status of all this mess, anyway?

Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Zagreb, Croatia
#5196

We're taking the "wait & see" approach to SDMI. As for actual implementation, we don't see any problems - except that the open architecture of the empeg might worry the SDMI people. The SDMI group can exclude any hardware device which they feel doesn't give their music the protection they want: it's a rather, well, silly attitude as SDMI music has to be able to play on a PC, which is about the most open/easily hacked platform there is.

There's nothing in our MP3 decoder which will prevent people from playing watermarked tracks - but then again, noone else's MP3 decoder checks for watermarking yet either.

Legal status? SDMI can't be forced on anyone. They're hoping it'll become the de-facto standard and noone will offer non-SDMI devices. I have a feeling it may not turn out as they'd like...

Hugo

We don't post any "Official" positions to this bulletin board. Here's my Unofficial Interpretation of our position.. :-)

It may prove necessary for us to support SDMI releases of MP3 or future formats for legal reasons, or to enable our customerbase to access the music resources that become available (i.e. purchasing of music from the net).

That said, if it happens that way, we plan to break out the decoding software in a modular fashion. This will allow clients to continue to run the "not officially supported" non-SDMI decoder (at their own discretion and responsibility) whilst continuing to benefit from development of the rest of the player.

Rob

So, no reason to worry...

BTW, it's Sunday evening, guys! You surely take your customers (and prospects) seriously.

Cheers!

Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Zagreb, Croatia
#5196

I was thinking the same thing... the empeg guys really have a future if they can keep their customer feedback up to the level they have currently set... just imagine trying to talk with the heads of Pioneer or Sony... not a chance!

More good luck to you guys and keep up the good work, hope I'll be benefitting from your device shortly :)