The Choice Between DRM and Security

gormanly writes "Victor Yodaiken has an article up on Groklaw in which he discusses how DRM may decrease security and reliability. He raises several questions that the developers of DRM technologies ought to answer - because not all computers are merely personal entertainment systems for 'content' consumers." From the article: "Sony BMG put DRM software onto CDs that broke the basic system security and made the entire system slower and less reliable. Imagine that your children put such a CD on your computer and opened an avenue for hackers to make copies of your business memos and personal email ... We are entering the era of ubiquitous and safety critical computing, but the developers of DRM technologies seem to believe that computers are nothing more than personal entertainment systems for consumers. This belief is convenient, because creating DRM mechanisms that respect security, safety, and reliability concerns is going to be an expensive and complex engineering task."

Comments

Re:Once something is digital, it flows free

[cyclomedia]

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Another idea is to package the music/software/game with something that is above and beyond what you would normally get from just a plain disc. Add something to the packaging that makes people want to buy the product and not just download it. You could add writing, pictures or objects that people could enjoy that can't be easily reproduced with a copy program.
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my thoughts exactly, offer your latest albumn for free download on your website, but put up for purchase:

1. it on vynil

or in the case for guitar bands (as opposed to stomping dance bands)

2. CD + official guitar music songbook

or in the case of bands that might be feeling a bit artistic

3. CD + full color book of photos, thoughts, sketches and general strangeness

or maybe if a band get's about a bit

4. CD + full color book of photos, stories and goings on from latest tour/recording effort

etc.

personally there are bands/artists who's music i "collect" and others that i simply "listen to". those that fall into the former camp would quite likely find me as a customer to the above things