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Today Is International Day Against DRM

Posted by Soulskill on from the give-me-what-i-paid-for dept.

jrepin writes "Digital restrictions management (DRM) creates damaged goods that users cannot control or use freely. It requires users to give-up control of their computers and restricts access to digital data and media. Device manufacturers and corporate copyrights holders have already been massively infecting their products with user-hostile DRM. Tablets, mobile phones and other minicomputers are sold with numerous restrictions embedded that cripple users freedom. The proposal at table in W3C to put DRM into HTML goes even further. Fight it: use today's today is international Day Against DRM, so spread the word and make yourself heard!" The EFF suggests making every day a day against DRM.

6 of 256 comments (clear)

  1. EA retaliates by TWiTfan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    EA retaliates with International "Fuck You, You're Going To Buy Our Games Anyway" Day.

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    1. Re:EA retaliates by SirGarlon · · Score: 5, Insightful

      EA makes every day "Fuck You, You're Going To Buy Our Games Anyway" Day.

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      [Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
  2. Need DRM Labeling Law by n2hightech · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Simple solution that politicians would have a hard time saying no to. All products that have DRM should be forced to display a DRM warning message on the outside of the packaging in print, TV and on line advertising. The message should explain in simple terms what the DRM does. IE - requires on line connection all the times, Requires Disk in drive all the time, prevents back up copies...etc. There should be stiff fines for selling products with DRM and no warning label. Then let the market decide. DRM is toxic to computers and users. So the proper warning is the right thing to do.

  3. Re:If we can put an end to DRM by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you don't like a product with DRM, don't buy it.

  4. Re:If we can put an end to DRM by femtobyte · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Except, in your examples, existing regulatory/enforcement methods seem to work reasonably well already (like HIPAA regulations). Unlike mass media content being sold to (and potentially copied by) zillions of people, it's pretty trivial to determine who is responsible when your medical records show up on the Pirate Bay. Medical and financial professionals might want to build automated compliance safeguards into their own computer systems to, e.g., automatically delete expired "borrowed" files --- but, unlike DRM, such systems can be *entirely under the control of the computer user* (not forced on them by third parties).

  5. Re:If we can put an end to DRM by cellocgw · · Score: 4, Insightful

    However, it is short sighted to say that DRM should not exist.

    - When a doctor is sharing your medical information to another doctor, wouldn't you want control over when/where that medical information can be viewed?

    I think you're confusing encryption (a Good Thing) with DRM (a Bad Thing). If encrypted, only authorized doctors would have the decryption key. They can access the data when needed. If DRM'd , the moment the controlling body -- think online gaming server -- dies or is obsoleted, no doctor will ever again be able to access your records. Not an ideal situation.

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