While downloading assorted windows patches today, I came across an interesting link:
Rights Management Add-on for Internet
Explorer. I’m a little surprised there hasn’t been an something of an outcry over this one:
Document authors, Web site authors, and creators of Web-based applications can deliver protected information by restricting permission. This provides protection, not only while the information is in transit, but also after the recipient of the information has received it.
I understand that this is useful technology for traditional content providers - but in my view it really goes againt the whole philosophy of the web. Can you imagine if the original Mosaic had this stuff?
From the software politics point of view, I think it is an interesting anti-PDF play from MS. If you can do DRM in HTML, then it’s means you don’t need to use encypted PDF (or eBooks for that matter).