Instead Of Less Annoying, Why Not Rethink DRM Altogether?

from the inching-forward dept

Tue, Oct 17th 2006 2:16pm — Joseph Weisenthal

The entertainment industry is slooowly coming around to the idea that some piracy is aresult of their own actions, and that it should learn to compete against it. Now, the CTO of the MPAA has come around to a similar conclusion, saying, "I understand that if we frustrate the consumer, they will simply pirate the content." He also suggested that the industry is looking into ways of making DRM less annoying. This is a line we can expect to hear a lot of going forward. The industry would like to have it both ways, acknowledging that DRM in its current form is irritating to customers, while promising that new methods can be developed that won't cause the same problems. But this Goldilocks DRM (not too restrictive, not completely open) isn't likely to come about. The whole point of DRM is to assume that each customer is a potential pirate, and that they should be treated as such. DRM that allowed a file to be played on multiple devices at any time would cease to be DRM. Still, progress is progress. The fact that an MPAA higher up is talking about the problem of irritating customers is a surprising and welcome development.

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13 Comments

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1st post troll, 17 Oct 2006 @ 2:28pm

This DRM is jusssssst right
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MikeR, 17 Oct 2006 @ 2:43pm

Next MPAA Story:
The MPAA is sad to announce the retirement of our CTO due to health reasons.
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Michael Long, 17 Oct 2006 @ 3:43pm

DRM
"DRM that allowed a file to be played on multiple devices at any time would cease to be DRM."

So the iTunes DRM that let's you play purchased songs on up to five different computers and any number of iPods at the same time isn't DRM?
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Oct 2006 @ 3:50pm

Re: Next MPAA Story:
And they'll claim the health reason is insanity...
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Solo, 17 Oct 2006 @ 4:41pm

"I understand that if we frustrate the consumer, they will simply pirate the content."

Nooooo... If we frustrate the consumer, they will simply seek ways to bypass the DRM scheme in order to use the content as they see fit.

Stripping the DRM should not make me a pirate. I bought the tune form iTunes, I want to play it on my (*MY*) creative mp3 player, I have to strip the DRM out.

THAT does NOT make me a pirate.
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Oct 2006 @ 4:54pm

Nothing will change here. DRM will always be a pain and the industry will not let go of DRM. Welcome to your legit sources for online media. They charge more for an inferior product. Congrats.
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DittoBox, 17 Oct 2006 @ 5:11pm

Bull crap.
You can't make DRM "less annoying". The only way to make DRM "less annoying" is to get rid of it completely.
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Oct 2006 @ 6:21pm

Re:

Stripping the DRM should not make me a pirate. I bought the tune form iTunes, I want to play it on my (*MY*) creative mp3 player, I have to strip the DRM out.

THAT does NOT make me a pirate.

No, it doesnt make you a pirate. It makes you a felon.
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Aaron Friel, 17 Oct 2006 @ 6:53pm

Re: Felon
No, it doesn't. It makes him an individual capable of understanding "fair use."
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Anonymous Coward, 17 Oct 2006 @ 7:01pm

Re: Re: Felon
No, according to the DMCA, it makes him a felon. Really.

Go read up on your laws.. seriously...

Fair use need not apply to anything with encryption (DRM).
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Bob Jones, 18 Oct 2006 @ 4:34am

It needs to be strict. In the UK we have a movie download service Sky By Broadband, for customers of the sattelite service, and can download free movies. Obviously they are DRM'ed - you can only play it on the PC, is that too strict? Not when you think that allowing you to put it on a standard DVD would break the DRM and allow it to be copied unlimited times, why bother buying the DVD then?
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alternatives, 18 Oct 2006 @ 5:04am

There is another choice they should fear....
"I understand that if we frustrate the consumer, they will simply pirate the content."
I've stopped CONSUMING their content. I've opted to do other things with my time, so when I wish to 'relax' - I no longer reach for the remote, or visit the movie theatre.
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No kidding, 18 Oct 2006 @ 7:52am

Alternatives is RIGHT
I posted this once concerning the RIAA, and it applies here too.

a huge drop off in CD sales is going to send the message pretty lound and clear, we don't need or want to support these organizations. The artists DON'T need them, and it may be difficult in the mean time, but a world without the RIAA/MPAA would leave the individual artists a great amount of leeway with which to promote/sell/give away their product as they see fit.

As for DRM being "less annoying" it's been said before. If I can see or hear the media involved then getting around the DRM will ALWAYS be a possibility. The industry can never hope to eliminate piracy in all forms, and frankly, it's never been that BIG of a problem. What they fear is that the average consumer will have the ability to pirate thier content without having any technical know-how. I can understand the concern, but they have a bigger problem on the horizon. A world so saturated with DRM, that the consumers to paying for legitimate versions and begin purchasing pirated copies just to get around the DRM. Just wait, it'll happen.
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