06-21-2004, 12:30 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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"DRM Doesn't Work"
http://craphound.com/msftdrm.txt
Cory Doctorow gave a talk on DRM to Microsoft's Research Group on June 17, 2004 and tried to convey 5 basic observations on DRM:
1. That DRM systems don't work
2. That DRM systems are bad for society
3. That DRM systems are bad for business
4. That DRM systems are bad for artists
5. That DRM is a bad business-move for MSFT
If you want to take this with you and read it - it is roughly 18 pages - here is a copy in Repligo 2.0 format. You can get the free reader at the Cerience web site.
Cory works for the Electronic Frontier Foundation and writes science fiction. I still have Down And Out In the Magic Kingdom on my memory card but I haven't read it yet. It is free at his site.
So, after reading the article, do you agree with his assessment of DRM?
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06-21-2004, 12:45 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 128
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Call me stupid, but what's DRM? 
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06-21-2004, 12:50 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,264
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Digital Rights Management.
And book "Down And Out In the Magic Kingdom" is really great! It was really funny walking through the park after reading it!
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06-21-2004, 12:54 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 31
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Am I the only supporter of DRM there is left?
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06-21-2004, 01:06 AM
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06-21-2004, 01:06 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 37
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Heheh
Hey that poll reminds me of that email that has a dialog box asking you whether you want a pay rise.... and when you try to click on the Yes, it "runs" away from your cursor... 
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06-21-2004, 01:18 AM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Dermot81
Call me stupid, but what's DRM? |
Read the linked article - it is very clear and straightforward, even if you know very little about DRM.
And... I totally agree with his viewpoint. Of course, one must realize Cory was speaking to MSR, not Microsoft themselves. MSR is much like an "embedded university" at Microsoft, and while they do absolutely fantastic work, they're likely to have very little effect on the business decisions of the rest of the company.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by IceCaveman
Am I the only supporter of DRM there is left?
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Even if you are, that doesn't necessarily invalidate the poll; the poll asks if DRM works.  In my opinion, having downloaded both ebooks and music, there's many different scenarios that demonstrate, over and over, that DRM doesn't "work" in a reasonable fashion. In any case, even if you disagree with Cory's viewpoint, give the article a read, as it makes several good points for not only the end-user, but also the publisher, the artist, and the technologist in the DRM equation.
--janak
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06-21-2004, 01:38 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 217
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Here comes the obligatory poll gripe:
There is no option to indicate that we feel DRM does work.
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06-21-2004, 02:22 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by c38b2
Here comes the obligatory poll gripe:
There is no option to indicate that we feel DRM does work.
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I made no room for the illogical and incomprehensible. ;-)
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06-21-2004, 03:26 AM
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5000+ Posts? I Should OWN This Site!
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 5,133
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I have no problem with mild DRM. Something easy that doesn't interfere with my ethical (note I'm not saying "legal", as I think a lot of "ethical" use isn't currently "legal") use of the software/music/movie/etc. I'm happy to pay for something that I like or will find useful, but I want to be able to USE it the way I want after that.
"Real" pirates will always pirate. But SOME level of DRM can deter the more casual pirate, or perhaps more importantly, people that just don't "get it" and don't understand why they can't just install the same copy of Office on all 45 computers in their small business.
I don't think there's any type of DRM that will ever be foolproof, and making it really "tough" is just a pain for the paying customer. I have no objections to the token effort, but that's about it.
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ops: 
Linear Mode
