DRM: How To Boil A Frog

symbolic writes "This article on the Register explains their experience with Creative's first attempt at supporting DRM, and also reviews a sneaky little technique for 'easing' DRM into peoples' lives via a free Costello preview CD. Two of the tracks are free from any DRM, but for the two that are DRM-enabled, you have to activate the right to listen to them (up to four times), by accessing a central server via the net. For those in the know, the doublespeak used to inform users of any actions they need to take to enable their DRM rights might be quite amusing. To wit: 'The content you are accessing requires an additional level of security. In order to play it, you will need to update your Digital Rights Management Installation.' Others, however, will think they're getting something, when they're actually having something taken away from them. It's a matter of time to see if consumers will flat-out reject this new 'enabling' technology, or let it seep into and infect their lives like the disease that it is."

Comments

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[sulli]

Just wait until someone posts it up on Kazaa.

(Note to self: don't buy Creative. iPod works fine.)

Warning: Your music may be insecure.

[raehl]

Microsoft recently announced their initiative to protect the content of their users' media through an initiative known as DRM, or Digital Rights Management. "It is absolutely essential that computer users adopt Digital Rights Management as quicly as possible," stated Microsoft spokesman Al Screwum. "Without this software, people's music and videos remain insecure." "It is only a matter of time before rogue black-hat hacker elements maliciously take advantage of this insecurity and replace parts of or even whole songs with other content," stated RIAA spokeswoman Annah Acker. "Imagine trying to listen to Brittney Spears and being forced to listen to Led Zepplin instead - all because someone exploited your unprotected music files!" "I hope this program is available soon," said Microsoft Windows user Nadja Clue. "Just yesterday I was trying to get the latest Christina Aquilera song off of KaZaa, but when I played it, all I got was static! Maybe DRM will stop the people who deleted the song I had to restart my computer 6 times to download!"

Re:DRM is the slavery of today qjkx

[jcsehak]

You're so right. That's exactly how slavery got started. First, the white landowners would be like "Hey Bukka, would you mind getting be a beer, as long as you're up?" And of course, the black people were kind and good-hearted, so they'd be like "Sho' nuff!" But then whites got too used to the idea. Pretty soon, they wouldn't even ask, they'd go "I'm thirrrrsty, hint hint," and their black friends would go "Yeah, yeah, I'll get you a beer." Before long, they were allowed to whip them into submission and fuck their wives. So beware! If we don't nip this in the bud, soon your wife will be ripe with the bastard child of a Microsoft exec, and you'll be singing "No more, my Lord" as you program in his cubicle farms.

Or you could just not install the software, you knob.

Re:Meanwhile, the press is completely unbiased...

[GigsVT]

The smart people already get it. The time for subelty is over. Leave that to SNL and the satire web sites. We need to get through to everyone, not just the ones that get the subtle in-jokes and clues. DMCA+DRM is a disease that threatens general computing; this isn't about CDs and Elvis Costello, this is about the right to use your turing machine to manipulate bits and bytes how you want it to.

The government considers computers a weapon, and just like Gun Control Inc. wants to remove weapons from the hands of those who could use them to threaten the social order, the RIAA and MPAA are a harbingers of a larger picture... The disarmament of the public.

Those in power want to stay in power, and private ownership of high speed turing machines, and firearms, and many other things that are being lobbied against, are a threat that must be eliminated.