CibbuanoWalMart shutting down DRM server
September 29th 2008 03:44
Shee... it seemed outrageous when I posted that Yahoo! would be shutting down its DRM servers. Now WalMart is following the same path, giving customers few options if they want to keep their DRM songs.
Naturally, I found out about this on BoingBoing, where Cory Doctorow wrote a sarcastic post on how effective DRM can be:
Doctorow points out that the honest consumer, who paid for their music, now suffers; as the DRM servers get turned off, their music collection no longer plays without confirmation.
On the other hand, the nefarious pirate, illegally downloading music, gets his for free with no DRM.
It's a pretty strong case for just getting your music illegally. We've seen many examples of DRM shooting customers in the foot, and the net effect is that it's pushing people towards P2P downloads. Why would I bother with anything with the smallest amount of DRM?
The good thing is that WalMart realizes the folly of DRM, and is converting to DRM-free MP3s. So, soon enough, all the online music will be free of DRM, and you'll have exactly what you wanted, from the beginning.
If that's the end result, why did we have to fight and debate on the merits of DRM to begin with?
Naturally, I found out about this on BoingBoing, where Cory Doctorow wrote a sarcastic post on how effective DRM can be:
" But don't worry, this will never ever happen to all those other DRM companies -- unlike little fly-by-night mom-and-pop operations like Wal*Mart, the DRM companies are rock-ribbed veterans of commerce and industry, sure to be here for a thousand years. So go on buying your Audible books, your iTunes DRM songs, your Zune media, your EA games... None of these companies will ever disappear, nor will the third-party DRM suppliers they use. They are as solid and permanent as Commodore, Atari, the Soviet Union, the American credit system and the Roman Empire."
On the other hand, the nefarious pirate, illegally downloading music, gets his for free with no DRM.
It's a pretty strong case for just getting your music illegally. We've seen many examples of DRM shooting customers in the foot, and the net effect is that it's pushing people towards P2P downloads. Why would I bother with anything with the smallest amount of DRM?
The good thing is that WalMart realizes the folly of DRM, and is converting to DRM-free MP3s. So, soon enough, all the online music will be free of DRM, and you'll have exactly what you wanted, from the beginning.
If that's the end result, why did we have to fight and debate on the merits of DRM to begin with?
"Boy, the entertainment industry sure makes a good case for ripping them off, huh? Buy your media and risk having it confiscated by a DRM-server shutdown. Take it for free and keep it forever."
| 38 |
| Vote |
Shared on
Subscribe to this blog
