MESSAGE
| DATE | 2009-07-20 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir
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| SUBJECT | Subject: [NYLXS - HANGOUT] Don't Believe it : RIAA - DRM is dead
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Software RIAA Spokesperson Declares DRM Dead Jason Mick (Blog)
- July 20, 2009 4:00 PM
The RIAA has declared the DRM copyright protection scheme, much
hated by consumers, to be dead at last. (Source: Spurgeon World)
Even DRM's staunchest supporters forsake it
The RIAA is one of the most controversial corporate organizations
in America. It has carried out a prolific lawsuit campaign against
file sharers, including its record $1.92M USD judgment against
Jammie Thomas-Rasset. It has also taken other less high-profile,
but equally contentious positions including declaring making CD
backup copies of legal bought works "stealing" and supporting
Digital Rights Management (DRM), a means of trying to prevent
individuals from copying digital works for backup or other purposes.
One of the staunchest supporters of DRM, RIAA chairman and CEO
Mitch Bainwol once commented two years ago, "DRM serves all sorts
of pro-consumer purposes."
Even last year as DRM floundered against public opposition, the
RIAA held hopes for a comeback. However, it now appears the RIAA
has forsaken DRM, the tool it once held dear. In an interview for
an upcoming SCMagazine article, Jonathan Lamy, chief spokesperson
for the RIAA comments, "DRM is dead, isnât it?"
With iTunes going DRM free, DRM indeed seems set to go the way of
the dinosaur. However, a few commercial entities like Electronic
Arts continue to cling to DRM implementations like the controversial
SecureROM for their brick-and-mortar sales. Even EA, though, has
removed SecureROM from copies of its game Spore sold on Valve's
Steam download service.
In the end, DRM struck the public as simply too anti-consumer --
you already bought the content, so why shouldn't you be free to
use or copy it? Malware-like implementations also did not help
DRM proponent's case, nor did the fact that the protections were
easily defeated -- as evidenced by Spore being the most pirated
game in history. Now it appears the end is at last near for the
scheme as its last advocates forsake it.
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