CeBIT - Anti-Piracy MP3 Technology Debuts

Pine Software has unveiled a breakthrough MP3 digital music device that it says solves all of the piracy issues currently affecting online music. The unit, unveiled this morning at the CeBIT Computer Faire in Germany, incorporates copyright protection technology, as well as a variety of digital audio formats.

The UK-based firm says that its multi-codec player supports not only MP3, but newer formats - including AAC, WMA and MS Audio - and can be upgraded to any future digital audio format.

The unit's anti-copyright infringement device, meanwhile, attaches a unique serial number to each downloaded music file so that it cannot be played on or transferred to any other machines.

Marnie Sutton, the firm's vice president of sales, said that the as- yet unnamed unit will allow consumers to purchase a product that will continue to develop and adapt to the digital audio world around them.

"This extends the life of the player and further assists major artists and record labels in entering the digital audio arena - safely," she said, adding that the unit should start shipping in the third quarter of the year.

Pine says that the unit has been designed so that each downloaded music file looks for the unique serial number in the player, which is taken back into the song, so that the file cannot be played on or transferred to any other machines.

Sutton said that MP3 is a fantastic medium for the distribution of digital audio, but artists and record labels understandably still worry over copyright protection.

Pine's Web site is at http://www.pine-dmusic.com.

Reported by Newsbytes.com, http://www.newsbytes.com.