Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jordan
Not really. People can be as altruistic as they want, but when your perfectly viable alternative is simply not to get the product at all, stealing it via the darknet is exactly the point.
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People are going to steal digital files regardless of DRM. DRM
does not and
can not stop that.
DRM also prevents honest customers from using products fairly, and therefore costs the publisher in the long run.
Quote:
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As I described in the cable scenario, the DRM used there is not obtrusive to customers... they are fine with it, in fact, rarely complain about it anymore, because they appreciate the service they're given enough to overlook the security issues.
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The reason the cable analogy is bad is that the two mediums are completely different.
Cable is a monthly rental agreement, and it suits the medium. You pay for access to content for a period of time. This content is also of a type that is by nature fixed to a location (i.e. your TV/cable box).
FWIW I have no issue with DRM on
rental content. The Zune Pass is a good example. For $15 a month users can download as much music they like from the Zune store for no extra cost, and they get to keep 10 songs each month as well (without DRM). The DRM on the subscription tracks restricts use to that person's account, which can include a set number of PCs and Zune players (actually I think 1 subscription can be shared across a couple of accounts, but I could be wrong). This is an example of DRM that is fair to the customer. They are renting, not buying. I occasionally rent videos digitally. It's cheap and I know I'm only buying a licence to view the program once, and I'm aware that it will only work on a PC activated with my account.
Ebooks and music are different to cable TV. I have no interest in renting a book or music. I want to own what I buy so I can use it again and again on my terms. If I buy a digital file I must be able to use that file as I see fit, such as replacing the reading device, reading on multiple devices, accessing the files from a computer, etc. This is not possible with DRM. If I am expected to rent a book I will not pay the kind of prices the publishers are currently asking (i.e. the same price as buying a physical copy of the book).
Another reason the cable analogy fails is that there is no restriction on fair use with cable TV. You can record onto video tape for time shifting purposes, and you can change the TV you view the shows on or even move the box into another room. Letting a neighbour access your cable is not fair use, and most people would agree on that. Putting an ebook onto a phone to read when your reader is at home is something most people would expect to be able to do in the digital age.
If TV subscriptions were changed to be digital files downloaded to a computer the analogy would be more accurate. The cable TV paradigm is dated one, and one that itself will almost certainly die (or change significantly) as content is more easily available online. Will future generations be happy to watch what the TV channels pipe into their house on the network's schedule when they can get access to the programs they want easily online? I doubt it. When that happens, people will want to escape the current confines of cable.