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RIAA Says "Don't Expect DRMed Music To Work Forever"

Posted by timothy on from the just-ask-what-and-whether-you're-buying-or-renting dept.

Oracle Goddess writes "Buying DRMed content, then having that content stop working later, is fair, writes Steven Metalitz, the lawyer who represents the MPAA, RIAA in a letter to the top legal advisor at the Copyright Office. 'We reject the view that copyright owners and their licensees are required to provide consumers with perpetual access to creative works.' In other words, if it stops working, too bad. Not surprisingly, Metalitz also strongly opposes any exemption that would allow users to legally strip DRM from content if a store goes dark and takes down its authentication servers."

3 of 749 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Forever? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    IANAL but this is illegal in the UK. This is why EULAs are not enforcable over here (although I'm not sure if its been tested in court).
    The seller/licensee cant dictate terms after the sale has been made.

  2. Re:Forever? by suzerain79 · · Score: 5, Informative

    It is called a Deceptive Trade Practice and it is illegal. If you represent a product is X and when you sell it is Y or does not have the capabilities as previously advertised, then it is actionable. Treble damages and attorney fees in Texas if you win.

  3. Re:that will keep your customers happy by Man+On+Pink+Corner · · Score: 3, Informative

    I keep thinking how these approaches would work when applied to books.

    You don't have to imagine it -- that's exactly what just happened, when Amazon's Ministry of DRM unpublished '1984' on the Kindle!