Even as Apple Computer CEO, Steve Jobs, is asking record labels to renounce digital rights management (DRM), Microsoft at the Barcelona 3GSM World Congress has launched a new digital rights management (DRM) system, 'Microsoft PlayReady', which allows users to use commercial content on multiple different devices for a single fee.

The company said that 'Microsoft PlayReady' would let users share protected pieces of content between mobile phones, PCs, and other devices.

'Microsoft PlayReady' has been designed to be fully backward compatible with Windows Media DRM 10, allowing devices that support 'Microsoft PlayReady' to access content using Windows Media DRM. Microsoft will also provide an interoperability program, so content may flow to qualifying DRM and content protection technologies.

Speaking on the occasion, Amir Majidimehr, Corporate Vice President - Consumer Media Technology, Microsoft, said, "Our wireless partners world-wide asked for a single system to power a growing array of business models and consumer scenarios, and the result is 'Microsoft PlayReady'. With consumer demand for digital goods of all types growing exponentially, this technology delivers a foundation for the future, and accelerates the transparent delivery of rich content to consumers."

Supporting multiple content types, and flexible rights, 'Microsoft PlayReady' enables operators to provide a range of new services tailored towards growing consumer interest in mobile digital media.

Moreover, the flexibility of 'Microsoft PlayReady' technology makes it attractive for leading mobile operators looking to deploy next-generation entertainment services, including Telefonica, O2, Verizon Wireless, Bouygues Telecom, Cingular Wireless, and AT&T, which have announced their support for 'Microsoft PlayReady'.

The technology also enables a broad spectrum of business models such as subscription, rental, pay-per-view, preview, and super-distribution, which can be applied to many digital content types, and a wide range of audio and video formats. Content types supported include music, video, games, ring tones, and images. Audio/video formats supported include Windows Media Audio (WMA), AAC/AAC+/HE-AAC, and Windows Media Video (WMV).

Besides, 'Microsoft PlayReady' enhancements make it easier for consumers to move their content between devices, giving them a new level of freedom with their digital content.

Meanwhile, the 'Microsoft PlayReady' technology, which is expected in the first half of this year for handset and device implementation, will be available as a well-documented porting kit with source code, so that it can be deployed on any mobile hardware or software platform, including low end devices.

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