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EFF Asks FTC To Demand 'Truth In Labeling' For DRM (techdirt.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Techdirt: Interesting move by Cory Doctorow and the EFF in sending some letters to the FTC making a strong case that DRM requires some "truth in labeling" details in order to make sure people know what they're buying. The argument is pretty straightforward (PDF): "The legal force behind DRM makes the issue of advance notice especially pressing. It's bad enough when a product is designed to prevent its owner from engaging in lawful, legitimate, desirable conduct -- but when the owner is legally prohibited from reconfiguring the product to enable that conduct, it's vital that they be informed of this restriction before they make a purchase, so that they might make an informed decision. Though many companies sell products with DRM encumbrances, few provide notice of these encumbrances. Of those that do, fewer still enumerate the restrictions in plain, prominent language. Of the few who do so, none mention the ability of the manufacturer to change the rules of the game after the fact, by updating the DRM through non-negotiable updates that remove functionality that was present at the time of purchase." In a separate letter (PDF) from EFF, along with a number of other consumer interest groups, but also content creators like Baen Books, Humble Bundle and McSweeney's, they suggest some ways that a labeling notice might work.
We need just a few standard form models for DRM like Model A, Model B, ...Model D, that are standard commercial options and well understood broadly.
We need a complaint mechanism with teeth for false representation and tortutious interference,
"Own it (snicker) on DVD!"
I'd like to see the government provide relief from DRM-related laws when a company goes out of business, drops support for a product, or when the (ever lengthening) copyright term expires. In fact, I'd like to see that in order be able to assert copyright over an encumbered work that the rights holder must have on deposit with the Library of Congress all necessary software/devices/documentation/etc. to ensure that the Library of Congress can remove the encumbrances for all US citizens when it becomes appropriate under the law (e.g., the work is abandoned or its copyright term expires). The way things are going now, we are going to end up with an entire generation of creative works which will be under a, for all practical purposes, perpetual copyright. Sure the technology will eventually advance to the point that today's DRM will be breakable like a child's toy, but the cases will still have to be fought in court. The perversion of copyright needs to be fixed properly instead of leaving it as a battle for future generations.
I want DRM'd money to spend on DRM products.
So I can control what the company is allowed to spend it on, after I give it to them in exchange for the goods/services.
The "decided after X months not to let you keep the money after all" is going to be a killer feature.
The company names listed are not what I would call "content creators", since technically their business is built around capitalizing on the distribution of content that OTHER people have created.
when I moved once I was in a new city by myself. I went out and bought a game for PC. Mindful that I didn't have internet I picked up Dragon Age Origins. I looked the box over and there was some vague note about an internet connection on the DVD case. Figuring I was home free I took it home and found I couldn't play it w/o internet (and no refunds on open software, of course).
To be fair I knew I was taking a risk. The game was already discounted for clearance. But it still would have been nice to have a big read label with something like "DRM. No Internet, No Worky" instead of a vague sentence in print best read with IBM's scanning electron microscope.
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"This work contains technological protection measures that may interfere with fair use".
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
Verizon is notorious for locking phones on their network, preventing updates and general intransigence in the face of crumbling Android security.
The FTC should make an example of Verizon - key escrow that opens for any phone that reaches six months without a security patch.
Verizon has demonstrated that control is more important than security. The public should demonstrate, through the regulatory actions of the FTC, that security is more important than profits.
If I purchase some media, and it's not the usual sort of first-sale doctrine that you'd expect from a book purchase, then it needs to be clearly labeled. If there is DRM in place that prevents you from transferring ownership, that needs to be made abundantly clear before purchase.
A CD that I can buy for $12, and sell back to a used CD shop for $3 is potentially a better deal than a cloud-only music purchase of the same album for $10. To accurately compare the two purchases, we need to know what we're agreeing to before hand.
Sadly, I doubt any modern judge in the US would rule in favor of a consumer who failed to completely understand the 30 page EULA he was given.
I recommend when Caveat Emptor (buyer beware) was usually said with a hint of irony.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire