checking MP3 license

12 Jul 2006 8:03 PM

iwdu15

hi, in my other post i got the answer on how to get the header information
from an MP3 file. Now i want to make sure the user has the rights (like by a
license u download for some files, etc) to play and transfer the file. how
can i check this? thanks

--
-iwdu15

13 Jul 2006 10:01 AM

Larry Lard

iwdu15 wrote:

> hi, in my other post i got the answer on how to get the header information
> from an MP3 file. Now i want to make sure the user has the rights (like by a
> license u download for some files, etc) to play and transfer the file. how
> can i check this? thanks

As far as I am aware (and <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP3> backs me
up), there is no DRM or other licensing mechanism available for MP3
files. Providers of DRM-restricted media use proprietary formats, such
as Apple's AAC or Microsoft's WMA, which are both capable of carrying
licensing information.

--
Larry Lard
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13 Jul 2006 2:45 PM

iwdu15

oh...my mistake...how would i check the license of a WMA then? thanks

--
-iwdu15

13 Jul 2006 3:01 PM

Larry Lard

iwdu15 wrote:

> oh...my mistake...how would i check the license of a WMA then?

A little research suggests to me that this is going to be 'difficult'.
What I _think_ you have to do is get the Windows Media Format SDK from
<http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/forpros/drm/components.aspx>
(scroll down) and read the documentation in that about how to DRM
enable your app. I haven't seen a simple API call you can make just to
ask, 'Is the current user licensed to play this file'. There might be
one though.

--
Larry Lard
Replies to group please
When starting a new topic, please mention which version of VB/C# you
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14 Jul 2006 5:42 PM

Mitchell S. Honnert

iwdu15, as was pointed out in another post, there is no DRM in a standard
MP3. However, there are some frames in the ID3 tag that can store
license/ownership information...

See these links from www.id3.org...
http://www.id3.org/id3v2.3.0.html#TOWN
http://www.id3.org/id3v2.3.0.html#OWNE
http://www.id3.org/id3v2.3.0.html#sec4.23
http://www.id3.org/id3v2.3.0.html#WCOP

These are frames are not implementations of DRM, but are instead purely
informational. In other words, anyone can write anything in these frame.

My free ID3 library, UltraID3Lib, implements most of the frames above as
individual classes.

WCOP    ID3CopyrightInformationWebAddressFrame
TOWN    ID3FileOwnerFrame
USER    ID3TermsOfUseFrame
OWNE    {Not implemented}

For more details go to www.UltraID3Lib.com.

HTH

- Mitchell S. Honnert

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"iwdu15" <jmmgoalsteratyahoodotcom> wrote in message
news:A0456985-E877-4FFB-953B-5F51E298EA5C@microsoft.com...
> hi, in my other post i got the answer on how to get the header information
> from an MP3 file. Now i want to make sure the user has the rights (like by
> a
> license u download for some files, etc) to play and transfer the file. how
> can i check this? thanks
> --
> -iwdu15