Microsoft Reader 1.0 - not to be upgraded as announced

July 25, 2001

News has begun to spread among Pocket PC and Microsoft Reader users that Microsoft Reader (version 1.0) for Pocket PCs will not be updated to fix a security problem which has stopped users from accessing eBooks encrypted with Microsoft's DRM5 level security. Microsoft announced its commitment to fixing the problem last year -- for existing Pocket PC users it appears this will not happen.

The issue for Pocket PC user has been that many publishers sell their content using only this (the highest) level of security, which has meant purchasers have only been able to read their eBooks using their desktop PC version of Microsoft Reader (version 1.5). Dick Brass, vice president for technology development at Microsoft, was quoted last year as saying , "Later this year [2000] or early next year [2001] we will fix this."

The news began to spread late last week after Pocket PC Thoughts author, Jason Dunn, posted the announcement that he had been notified of the change and that it could be made public. The message came loud and clear from Dunn, that "there will not be an upgrade for current Pocket PCs to allow support for DRM5 ebooks."

Existing devices, such as the iPaq, Jornada 548 and E-115 Cassiopeia (see Planet eBook Tools & Technologes List for all devices using MS Reader) will be unable to open any eBooks utilizing the highest level (DRM5) of security. Microsoft's DRM5 (Owner Exclusive) security level means that when an eBook is purchase it is locked to a computer -- only the device with the license file can decrypt and read the content.

According to Microsoft the reason why the DRM5 (Owner Exclusive) security level did not work from day one of the Pocket PC release was because it was not close to completion at the time at which the Pocket PC operating system was to be completed (Microsoft Reader as well as Pocket Word, Excel, IE come embedded on the device and cannot be un/installed by the user. Also, according to Microsoft's related FAQ, "The assumption at that time was that commercial release of Owner Exclusive books would be well into 2001–over a year after RTM of Reader 1.0."

Interestingly enough the link included in Planet eBook's Unofficial Microsoft Reader FAQ for more information on this problem has disappeared from Microsoft's site. See the following question (and our outdated question):

The missing page included Microsoft's original comments on the problem and it's plans for fixing it. Among the series of questions and answers, the FAQ included the following:

Will the Owner Exclusive update be a patch or a completely new version of Reader 1.0?

It will be a complete new version of the application. The security mechanisms in Owner Exclusive are deeply tied to the application, so a patch or update wouldn’t be adequate to add Owner Exclusive encryption to the existing Reader 1.0 application shipped on the Pocket PC.

When will the Reader 1.5 for Pocket PC with Owner Exclusive be available?

Our current expectation is that this will be in the first half of 2001. As work progresses and we know more we will communicate changes to this projection. Like the original Owner Exclusive work there are uncertainties and development work to be done. Once completed the application will have to undergo several months of testing to ensure it is both stable and secure.

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