Quote:
Originally Posted by bookmole
DRM implies that you are a criminal, that you cannot be trusted to own a piece of electronica without sharing it . . .
|
Criminal is a strong word. But if, in violation of law, you can get something without paying for it, and with no chance of being caught, most people will probably do it, at least at some points in their lives. That's why cheating on taxes is described as a national pastime in multiple countries. And that's why, according to one US study,
Overall, 4 out of every 5 teenagers (80%) have engaged in some type of music piracy in the past six months. Yes, it's an on-line survey. But the survey company (scroll down to methodology in my link), Harris, is mainstream, and the finding is consistent with my own discussions with college students.
What about library borrowers? Most people here seem to think DRM is fine for them. Can anyone explain why it might be OK to imply that a library borrower like myself is a crook, while book-buyers are sacrosanct?
The whole idea of checking out paper books at the library, by the same reasoning, implies that borrowers are criminals. Why not just let people walk out with books on the honor system?
And why not let people drop the cost of goods in a pay box as they walk out of a store?
Answer: In a few small isolated towns where everyone knows everyone else, I've heard of the pay box system working. But, in larger communities, most people are not always law-abiding.