Help Wanted - Crack the Code

The Secure Digital Music Initiative has issued a public challenge to those that are interested. What is the challenge? To attack new technology and break them in an effort to test the technology's viability and security. Everyone has read the headlines lately, and digital music has been dotting headlines around the globe for months now. Here is your chance to revolutionize the market and make a difference instead of just talking about it.

An Open Letter to the Digital Community

Here's an invitation to show off your skills, make some money, and help shape the future of the online digital music economy.

The Secure Digital Music Initiative is a multi-industry initiative working to develop a secure framework for the digital distribution of music. SDMI protected content will be embedded with an inaudible, robust watermark or use other technology that is designed to prevent the unauthorized copying, sharing, and use of digital music.

We are now in the process of testing the technologies that will allow these protections. The proposed technologies must pass several stringent tests: they must be inaudible, robust, and run efficiently on various platforms, including PCs. They should also be tested by you.

So here's the invitation: Attack the proposed technologies. Crack them.

By successfully breaking the SDMI protected content, you will play a role in determining what technology SDMI will adopt. And there is something more in it for you, too. If you can remove the watermark or defeat the other technology on our proposed copyright protection system, you may earn up to $10,000.

To participate, just go to the website at www.hacksdmi.org after September 15, 2000 and read the public challenge agreement. If you agree to the terms, you will have until at least October 7, 2000 to do your best.

SDMI is a body that includes 200+ companies and organizations from start ups to global enterprises, and from around the world. Participants include leading consumer electronics, information technology, music, and wireless telecom companies. (More information can be found at www.sdmi.org.)

Here's your chance to shape the future of digital music.

Sincerely,

Leonardo Chiariglione

Executive Director, SDMI

September 6, 2000

So there you have it. Show Mr. Chiariglione what you got. Go forth, and let the games begin!