Vongo, the online movie subscription service from Starz, is only available to Windows clients. In an intriguing move, Vongo is encouraging Mac users to “let Apple know you want Vongo.” (Here’s an archive of the page as it appears to Mac users.) Interestingly, they claim that “while Vongo was designed to work for the Mac OSX platform, Apple has chosen to withhold the necessary license to Apple’s FairPlay Digital Rights Management (DRM). Without this software license, we are unable to offer Vongo for Mac users.” FairPlay is, of course, the proprietary DRM that Apple wraps video and music files sold from its iTunes Music Store in. Why does Vongo need a FairPlay license to make their service Mac compatible? Is someone at Vongo confused? I wonder… Could they possibly be withholding Mac support in order to get a license for FairPlay so that their service would then be iPod-compatible, and might they be disguising it as a Mac issue? No, no, of course not… (You’ll remember Real’s terribly failed campaign to get Apple to license FairPlay.) Even more peculiar is that Vongo, back in January, claimed the service would “really!” soon be compatible with the Mac. Guess their negotiations with Apple didn’t go quite as planned?
My email to Vongo? 
Hi,
I use a Mac, and I’m disappointed to learn that Vongo isn’t currently compatible with the Mac.
The reason stated on your website is confusing to me… FairPlay is a proprietary technology Apple developed for their iTunes Music Store. I have a difficult time understanding why it would be necessary for Apple to “license” that technology to you in order for your service to work on a Mac…
Nevertheless, I do hope to see Vongo on the Mac soon, regardless of whether or not Apple choose to license FairPlay to you.
Justen Deal
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