Updated: July 10, 2020 (September 12, 2005)
Charts & IllustrationsHow Windows Media DRM and RMS Differ
Although Windows Media DRM and Rights Management Services (RMS) function in similar ways, many implementation and architectural details differ. This chart shows some examples.
| Windows Media DRM | RMS | |
| Type of content protected | Windows Media Format audio and video | Office 2003 documents and e-mails; other formats such as Adobe PDF supported by partners |
| DRM client distribution | Distributed with media playback application (Windows Media Player or third-party player) | Distributed and installed separately from rendering application |
| Use license acquisition | DRM client reads URL in content header, retrieves license over Internet; license can also be distributed with content | RMS client retrieves license from known RMS server within organization |
| Policy information | Distributed in content header or stored on license server | Stored in publishing license that travels with the file |
| Competition | Apple FairPlay, RealNetworks |
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