Sounds like the fast one that Real tried to pull a few months ago...

May 23, 2006 13:10 GMT  ·  By

Apple's decision not to license FairPlay has led to many discussions that it is not compatible or open, and that it limits choice.

While the DRM has some limitations, it is considered to be one of the most open and non-restrictive DRMs out there. Of course, it is most restrictive to other companies, which is why they are making such a racket about it.

Now, a startup company based in Apple's hometown of Cupertino is working on 'unlocking the iPod'.

The company hopes to offer a DRM that stores the right information associated with a piece of music, a game or a movie in the file itself. This approach would enable anyone to directly tap into their own content and deliver it themselves, and has already been the subject of experiment by companies such as Fox, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Walt Disney Internet, Cingular and Verizon Wireless.

But Navio plans to take things one step further and start offering a solution for iPod ready videos that anyone could sell. This will allow anyone to tap into the iPod, not just Apple.

However, despite all this looking good on paper, Navio still faces the challenge of making a solution that is just as easy to use and reliable as the current one. If not, people will simply continue using the existing, proven, service providers.