Nike + iPod To Become Mandatory?
It’s commonplace to see people working out while listening to music. Aside from the entertainment value, there’s also the distraction it brings, keeping your mind off the pain and effort that you’re exerting. The practice is so prevalent that Nike and Apple joined forces to come up with the Nike + iPod brand, marketing an integration of sports gear and music. It sounds good so far but, like everything else it touches, DRM is going to throw a monkey wrench in the otherwise smooth machine.
The patent, filed for in March of 2007 and published last week, describes a “Smart Garment” that would allow a gadget to authenticate to a specific garment—whether that garment is shoes, pants, or a jacket. When the garment is authenticated, however, unapproved garments would be blocked from being able to use the device.
Just to emphasize, it’s not strictly DRM, but the application is so similar it might as well be. What if you like iPods but prefer footwear other than Nike? Forcing compatibility makes a loser out of the consumer because it deprives him or her of choice. Let’s see if this one actually becomes a reality.
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