Quote:
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Originally Posted by quux
rlauzon:
Let me try this a different way. Can you enumerate the rights a person should have when he/she:
- buys a music CD
- pays for 5 songs via iTunes or similar
- buys a movie DVD
- rents a movie DVD
- buys a physical book
- buys an e-book
Be specific! And when you're done, can you explain why DRM cannot deliver those rights? |
When I buy any media, I have
1. The right to re-sell it when I am done with it.
2. The right to use it whenever I want, however I want, wherever I want, for any reason I want (With 2 exceptions: I cannot make copies to give to someone else, and I cannot exhibit the work for a fee - i.e. be a movie theatre).
When I buy a music CD I can:
+ Listen to it in my PC, my car's CD player, listen to it in my stereo.
+ Rip the tracks to MP3s to listen on my MP3 player.
+ Sell the CD to someone else.
+ Listen to it in any country.
Since iTunes locks the music to the iPod, I cannot play it on an standard MP3 player without having to use their software to burn the song on to a CD and re-rip it (i.e. remove their DRM).
When I buy a DVD I can
+ Watch it in my DVD player (maybe).
+ Sell the DVD to someone else.
Legally that's all I can do. I cannot, without downloading "illegal" software (according to the DMCA):
+ Rip the movie to play on my PVP.
+ View it in another country.
DRM prohibits me from playing the movie on another device and prevents me from viewing my legally purchased region 3 DVDs on my legal DVD player.
When I rent a movie DVD I have far fewer rights anyway. I can watch it and then return it. Any other use is a violation of copyright. DRM really doesn't have much of any impact here.
When I buy a physical book, I can:
+ Read it anywhere at any time.
+ Scan the pages to read it on current eBook reading device.
+ Sell the book to someone else when I am done with it.
When I buy a DRMed e-book, I can
+ Read it only with the approved viewer that I have the book registered for.
I cannot view it on any other device. If the device that I registered the book on fails, I may not be able to view that eBook anywhere else - especially if the company is out of business.
I cannot sell that eBook to someone else when I am done with it.
Any other questions?