Silverlight, “Cross-Platform” and, what else, DRM

There has been much hubbub over Silverlight and it’s touting of being “Cross-platform”, especially since “Cross-platform” means Windows and OSX 10.4.8 or later. How can it be a “flash-killer” and call itself “cross-platform” if it doesn’t run everywhere Adobe’s Flash does?

Now it makes sense. In the FAQ for Silverlight, it became apparent why it’s not supported on Linux:

Will Silverlight support digital rights management?

For content providers, Silverlight will support digital rights management (DRM) built on the recently announced Microsoft PlayReady content access technology on Windows-based computers and Macintosh computers.

Of course! DRM! That’s the killer, and it makes perfect sense. I can’t wait until the day people can revoke and restrict things on the fly. I love it when I purchase stuff and get told, “Oh, and here’s how you can use it” (except for things like rental services, which I think it is appropriate for).

Alright Linux guys, let’s get cracking and get DRM supported, and then maybe Microsoft will consider Silverlight there.