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Software RIAA Spokesperson Declares DRM Dead
Jason Mick (Blog) - July 20, 2009 4:00 PM
Print 73 comment(s) - last by nstott.. on Jul 26 at 10:15 PM

The RIAA has declared the DRM copyright protection scheme, much hated by consumers, to be dead at last.  (Source: Spurgeon World)
Even DRM's staunchest supporters forsake it

The RIAA is one of the most controversial corporate organizations in America.  It has carried out a prolific lawsuit campaign against file sharers, including its record $1.92M USD judgment against Jammie Thomas-Rasset.  It has also taken other less high-profile, but equally contentious positions including declaring making CD backup copies of legal bought works "stealing" and supporting Digital Rights Management (DRM), a means of trying to prevent individuals from copying digital works for backup or other purposes.

One of the staunchest supporters of DRM, RIAA chairman and CEO Mitch Bainwol once commented two years ago, "DRM serves all sorts of pro-consumer purposes."

Even last year as DRM floundered against public opposition, the RIAA held hopes for a comeback.  However, it now appears the RIAA has forsaken DRM, the tool it once held dear.  In an interview for an upcoming SCMagazine article, Jonathan Lamy, chief spokesperson for the RIAA comments, "DRM is dead, isn’t it?"

With iTunes going DRM free, DRM indeed seems set to go the way of the dinosaur.  However, a few commercial entities like Electronic Arts continue to cling to DRM implementations like the controversial SecuROM for their brick-and-mortar sales.  Even EA, though, has removed SecuROM from copies of its game Spore sold on Valve's Steam download service. 

In the end, DRM struck the public as simply too anti-consumer -- you already bought the content, so why shouldn't you be free to use or copy it?  Malware-like implementations also did not help DRM proponent's case, nor did the fact that the protections were easily defeated -- as evidenced by Spore being the most pirated game in history.  Now it appears the end is at last near for the scheme as its last advocates forsake it.

 

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Uh oh,
By rcc on 7/20/2009 4:04:35 PM , Rating: 5
If true this could reduce Daily tech postings by as much as a third*

*Random statistic meant to be somewhat humorous.




RE: Uh oh,
By phantom505 on 7/20/2009 4:46:03 PM , Rating: 5
Nah, there's plenty enough junk to keep Libertarian IT people busy. If health care reform passes and becomes digital that's years of ranting right there.

Add "green tech" and you have another 20-30 years.

The funny thing is I don't think half the people that rant about keeping the status quo realize how dumb trying to keep the status quo is. Direction and movement in a direction is what makes the modern era work.


RE: Uh oh,
By rcc on 7/20/2009 6:02:16 PM , Rating: 5
quote:
Direction and movement in a direction is what makes the modern era work.


True. The problem, however, is keeping everyone from blasting off in the wrong direction and the wrong speed. Usually without a clear vision of the goal. Motion, direction, etc without a goal is pretty much a waste.

Before anyone brings up research projects without a final goal, bear in mind that they have a goal for the research. What they often don't have is a final application specified.


RE: Uh oh,
By Regs on 7/21/2009 8:31:05 AM , Rating: 3
People are governed mostly by their greed and fear. It's greed that presses us forward, and fear that holds us back. There is no in-between, but only a balance.


RE: Uh oh,
By JonB on 7/21/2009 5:28:50 PM , Rating: 3
Talk about over simplifying human motivation. Greed and Fear. That's it? If true, we are a sad group of beings.


RE: Uh oh,
By captainpierce on 7/21/2009 8:09:56 AM , Rating: 5
quote:
The funny thing is I don't think half the people that rant about keeping the status quo realize how dumb trying to keep the status quo is. Direction and movement in a direction is what makes the modern era work.


No one hates the status quo more than me. And you're unknowingly perpetuating it. If your comments are any indication, you expect direction and movement to come from the national government organizing society from the top down. Not only is this keeping the status quo but expanding it to even greater degrees.

Progress and innovation will come from people pursuing ways to make things better in a free society. Innovation will not come from government bureaus.

I'll wear that libertarian IT guy label as a badge of honor!


RE: Uh oh,
By Hieyeck on 7/21/2009 3:50:53 PM , Rating: 3
Let me guess, you think Macs are worth every penny too.


RE: Uh oh,
By captainpierce on 7/21/2009 4:14:11 PM , Rating: 3
quote:
Let me guess, you think Macs are worth every penny too.


I've said a lot of crazy things in my life but I never went that far!


RE: Uh oh,
By nstott on 7/26/2009 10:15:34 PM , Rating: 2
He said "libertarian," not "liberal."


RE: Uh oh,
By Staples on 7/20/2009 11:18:21 PM , Rating: 2
About sums it up. What are all the pirates going to complain about now, I mean, their arguments that the man is keeping them down.


RE: Uh oh,
By Tsuwamono on 7/21/2009 10:55:42 AM , Rating: 2
maybe 30$ DVDs?

Until DVDs are around the 10$ mark I download first and IF its good ill buy it.


Awesome image
By FITCamaro on 7/20/2009 4:02:21 PM , Rating: 5
One of the best in a while.

And completely accurate.




RE: Awesome image
By Xenokyn on 7/20/2009 6:20:12 PM , Rating: 3
Who created this image, and what is its status as being re-distributable? Has it been released into the public domain with no copyrights, or licensed under the GNU General Public License? (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html)


RE: Awesome image
By rs1 on 7/20/2009 8:34:45 PM , Rating: 3
The GPL is like a virus, trying to spread itself to everything that's ever so much as brushed up against a GPL'ed resource.

Just release it into the public domain instead, if you really want people to benefit from your creation.


RE: Awesome image
By Xenokyn on 7/21/2009 11:19:35 AM , Rating: 2
That would be up to the creator of the image, which is why I asked. I can't find its original source or any indication of whether or not it has a license.


RE: Awesome image
By Xenokyn on 7/21/2009 11:24:07 AM , Rating: 2
It says its source is Spurgeon World, but I couldn't find it on that site nor do I know if the guy who does the art there licenses his work or just releases it into the public domain. I would assume the latter, I'm obviously asking because I want to post it on a few forums and websites.


RE: Awesome image
By Regs on 7/20/2009 10:31:37 PM , Rating: 2
Agreed. DRM is the most atrocious and intrusive thing I ever encountered and I understand the rift that it created. They need to come up with another solution. Steam was promising, but all this added file structure and lack of control of the game ticks me off.

I am however at a cross road. I honestly can't think of any other solutions to their piracy issue and to simply ignore them like it's not a problem is impossible. Obviously, given people who bought the license to use the software less freedom was a bad start.


RE: Awesome image
By mixpix on 7/20/09, Rating: -1
RE: Awesome image
By inighthawki on 7/21/2009 1:07:57 AM , Rating: 5
You mean like where it says:
quote:
...Jonathan Lamy, chief spokesperson for the RIAA comments, "DRM is dead, isn’t it?"


RE: Awesome image
By captainBOB on 7/21/2009 4:44:54 PM , Rating: 2
The source article from which this article is using was updated.

quote:
Update July 20: Yes, it seemed to good to be true and it is. We just learned the the RIAA never used the word dead in its reply to the reporter. Lamy told TorrentFreak that he only said that there is almost no DRM on (downloaded) music anymore nowadays. In other (our) words: it’s an endangered species, not extinct. When the most vocal forefighters of DRM say so, it must be for real. Although this is the first time that the RIAA have actually said on record that DRM is dead, other players in the music industry have seen the light before them. Most notable IFPI, who said earlier this year that stripping DRM would “significantly boost download sales.” In this we have to agree with them. All DRM has ever done is annoy consumers who actually paid for their music. No single piece of DRM has ever stopped anyone from pirating music, it’s quite the opposite as the music industry now realizes.


This article needs to be updated as well. pronto.


RE: Awesome image
By CZroe on 7/21/2009 1:24:21 AM , Rating: 2
"Completely accurate?" I don't see where they removed SecuROM from Spore... it isn't mentioned in the SecuROM controversy on the Spore Wikipedia page. That said, idiots continually claimed that it was "removed" from Bioshock when, in fact, it was simply set to allow unlimited activations. There was still no off-line installing/use and still no way to guarantee a functional copy should the companies go belly-up.


How much was spent?
By Mitch101 on 7/20/2009 4:09:47 PM , Rating: 5
I wonder how much was spent on DRM that didn't prevent an ounce of what it was supposed to do?

My Take on DRM.
Copy Software companies get rich on DRM.
DRM writers get rich playing cat and mouse with Copy software.
Lawyers get rich off DRM suits.
RIAA/MPAA loses money to DRM writers and Lawyers. I cant believe they prevented or made back what they put into it.
Consumers get screwed all the way around.

If anyone should have been sued it should have been the companies that created DRM simply because it didn't work.




RE: How much was spent?
By Motoman on 7/20/2009 4:25:07 PM , Rating: 5
quote:
I wonder how much was spent on DRM that didn't prevent an ounce of what it was supposed to do?


All of it. And on top of that, all the lost sales that weren't made because the product had DRM in it.


RE: How much was spent?
By Mitch101 on 7/20/2009 4:31:42 PM , Rating: 2
LOL Good answer. I'm curious to the dollar amount wasted that was passed onto the consumer.

But I will rephrase my question.
How much did DRM steal from the RIAA and MPAA for a product that didn't work?


RE: How much was spent?
By SavagePotato on 7/20/2009 11:56:07 PM , Rating: 5
What's funny is the pirated versions have the drm conveniently stripped and often less problems than the borked up retail release with broken crappy pc infesting drm software.

So the pirates laugh as the new games hit the torrents before they even hit the stores, with the DRM removed, and the person that pays for the product gets the shaft.


RE: How much was spent?
By Motoman on 7/21/2009 1:04:30 PM , Rating: 3
Exactly. Which is why I didn't buy Spore, even though I was practically salivating for it.

DRM did not ever, and will not ever, deter piracy. What it does do is treat legitimate consumers like criminals, and compromise the stability/security of their PCs.

It's also a big reason why I essentially never buy CDs anymore. I want to rip my CDs to .mp3s so I can carry them around with me...when CDs started having DRM on them that prevented that, I stopped buying CDs. So tell me, Big Content, who exactly are you hurting with DRM? Pirates? No. Consumers? Yes, if they buy your product...No if they don't. You? Yes, in every case, 100% of the time. You have to pay to put the DRM crap in your product, which costs you money, then you lose sales because you put DRM in your product. Big Content loses 100% of the time with DRM...pirates don't care, and consumers can choose not to buy your product...and thereby no longer care about your or your product.


RE: How much was spent?
By Fritzr on 7/22/2009 5:42:52 PM , Rating: 2
There is an upside to DRM. It promotes R&D for the purpose of circumventing the DRM. Spin off from that work then works its way into the legit mainstream.

An early example was the development and sale of a RAM expansion for the Commodore 1541 disk drive. Since the 15xx drives had a programmable computer on board that was limited by RAM availability, the RAM expansion became a target of development that would have never been available as a plug in component if cracking the DRM hadn't required a custom DOS to run onboard the disk drive :)

The final result in the 8bit world was total removal of DRM, goodies packaged with the disk & lower prices to make copying less profitable (both pirate's revenue and spending cash saved)


One down...
By mmntech on 7/20/2009 4:11:59 PM , Rating: 5
Now all we have to do is convince the MPAA and the gaming industry to do the same.




RE: One down...
By Fracture on 7/20/2009 5:07:33 PM , Rating: 5
"The Devil's greatest trick was convincing the world he didn't exist."

Keep an eye out.


RE: One down...
By zsdersw on 7/21/2009 8:23:43 AM , Rating: 2
The "Devil" very likely doesn't exist any more than "God" exists. Both are merely born out of our desire to anthropomorphize things we don't understand or can't explain. It's one way we learn and begin to fathom. Unfortunately, religions have capitalized on this inner desire *far* too much throughout history.. and continue to do so today.


RE: One down...
By Breathless on 7/21/2009 9:04:06 AM , Rating: 1
and unfortunately, all "you people" (whatchyou mean you people?) do is substitute "God" with "Time" and do the same exact thing. Good job.


RE: One down...
By zsdersw on 7/21/2009 9:35:11 AM , Rating: 3
Your post is a non sequitur.


RE: One down...
By Breathless on 7/21/2009 9:41:01 AM , Rating: 2
Is not!


RE: One down...
By alphadog on 7/22/2009 9:34:34 AM , Rating: 2
Way to ruin a good snarky comment. It's just an expression. No reason to turn into an atheist's diatribe against Religion...


RE: One down...
By zsdersw on 7/23/2009 2:08:18 PM , Rating: 2
Your bottle of formula is almost ready.


Someone with money...
By Motoman on 7/21/2009 1:39:15 PM , Rating: 3
...needs to get DRM declared illegal. Why? Let me tell you...

1. The law already on the books explicitly provides consumers with the right to make a copy of something they bought - a CD, a DVD, a game, whatever. This law DOES NOT allow you to sell or distribute said copy, but it allows you to make it.

2. DRM prevents consumers from exercising their lawful right to make a copy of that thing that they bought. The DRM technology, in and of itself, causes the honest consumer to not be able to make use of those rights which the law has explicitly given them.

Granted, then, that DRM exists only as an obstacle to law-abiding consumers to exercise rights guaranteed to them by the law, how is it possible that DRM technology is legal in the first place?

Think of the precedent that sets...a vendor/association taking direct and intentional action to prevent you from doing what the law guarantees you can do. If you bought a new car from whoever, let's say Packard just for fun, and when you went to drive it you found that Packard had installed a wheel-boot on your car, would you be OK with that? Would you maybe ask Packard why they put a wheelboot on the car you legally purchased from them? And if they explained that the wheelboot was just for everyone's protection, to make sure that thieves couldn't steal your car, would you be OK with that? Or would you expect that you'd be able to drive your car, since that's what you bought it for, and you have a legal driver's license which guarantees you the right to operate a motor vehicle?

Come up with all the other analogies you want. There is no basis in reality for DRM being legal, at all, period, end of story. Unless of course it can be implemented in such a way that the consumer's rights aren't infringed upon in any way, small or large. So if you invent that magic fairy-dust, by all means knock yourself out. Otherwise...stop preventing honest consumers from exercising their lawfully guaranteed rights.




RE: Someone with money...
By DominionSeraph on 7/22/2009 9:55:52 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
. DRM prevents consumers from exercising their lawful right to make a copy of that thing that they bought.


Your right to copy as a backup is merely an exception to copyright law, not guaranteed access to the ability. There's no violation if you happen to do it, but there's nothing that says you must be able to make a copy.

Common misconception.


RE: Someone with money...
By Motoman on 7/22/2009 10:52:25 AM , Rating: 2
That is categorically false.

When the law explicitly provides a right, the law *guarantees* that you have that right...that, in fact, is what the law is for. The law is a guarantee of that right - meaning no one has any basis to claim that you don't have that right. If I make a backup of a CD, the manufacturer of that CD has no basis to dispute my right to have done so.

The problem is that Big Content convinced our lawmakers to give them a way to abuse the consumer despite the guaranteed right to make a copy...and that came in the form of making it illegal to bypass DRM. When I, as a consumer, buy a CD/DVD/whatever with DRM on it, and I bypass that DRM one way or another to make the copy that the aforementioned law guarantees me the right to make, I have also broken the law that says you can't bypass DRM. The two laws are mutually exclusive, and cannot exist in the same universe. It's like putting a crosswalk across a street for pedestrians to use to get to the other side of the road, but then putting a barrier in front of the crosswalk informing you that you'll be arrested if you go around the barrier.


RE: Someone with money...
By DominionSeraph on 7/22/2009 1:26:06 PM , Rating: 2
http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html

It is a limitation to the the exclusive right of the copyright holder to reproduce the copyrighted work, NOT an inalienable right of yours.

quote:
When I, as a consumer, buy a CD/DVD/whatever with DRM on it, and I bypass that DRM one way or another to make the copy that the aforementioned law guarantees me the right to make, I have also broken the law that says you can't bypass DRM. The two laws are mutually exclusive


You are not guaranteed the ability to make a copy.


RE: Someone with money...
By Motoman on 7/22/2009 1:57:31 PM , Rating: 2
...at what point do you see me say the law guarantees me the ability to make the copy? The government doesn't have to provide me with a DVD-RW drive if I don't have one...

The guarantee I am referring to is the right itself. Our laws guarantee us the right to free speech. They guarantee us the right to vote. They guarantee us the right to assembly. The "guarantee" is in the fact that no person or agency can make any claim that we don't have the right to free speech, or to vote, or to assemble...and in this case, no one can make any claim that we don't have the right to make a copy of a CD/DVD/whatever that we legally purchased for our own use.

This is the guarantee that I speak of. The law against bypassing DRM runs counter to this guarantee, in that it makes it illegal for an honest citizen to exercise that right. This is the crux of the problem.


RE: Someone with money...
By DominionSeraph on 7/22/2009 5:26:05 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
The government doesn't have to provide me with a DVD-RW drive if I don't have one...

Nor is it required to allow you to have one. If it deemed fit, it could outlaw them.

quote:
The "guarantee" is in the fact that no person or agency can make any claim that we don't have the right to free speech, or to vote, or to assemble

I can quite easily make that claim. Watch:

"You don't have the right to free speech, or to vote, or to assemble."

You should check your foundations better than that. A polite cough just shattered that one.

quote:
and in this case, no one can make any claim that we don't have the right to make a copy of a CD/DVD/whatever that we legally purchased for our own use.

You may do in in that it is not outlawed in itself. But the method you choose or other circumstances may be, and if it is, you may not.
I may copy a phonograph record and not be in violation of copyright law. However, if I decide to make an impression using explosives, that would be illegal. If I were to force a music industry exec at gunpoint to make a copy, that would be illegal. And breaking DRM is illegal.
The absence of infringement of the copyright holder's copyright says NOTHING about your relationship to any other law. And there is absolutely no requirement whatsoever for there to be a legal avenue left open to you to make a copy.


RE: Someone with money...
By Motoman on 7/22/2009 7:18:42 PM , Rating: 2
You're purposefully being obtuse about this. You know full well that a law that grants a right is a guarantee of that right, plain and simple. You're not doing anything useful with your drivel at this point.


RE: Someone with money...
By DominionSeraph on 7/23/2009 8:05:05 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
You know full well that a law that grants a right is a guarantee of that right, plain and simple.


An exeption to a prohibition, even an explicit one, does not set a claim right.

Speed limit: 55mph
Does this set a claim right to driving under 55? Do you have the absolute right to do so, and nobody may interfere? No. The state can revoke your licence, and at that point you no longer have the liberty to drive on state roads at all.

Permission under one statute != permission under all.

You really need to learn the difference between rights and liberties.


RE: Someone with money...
By Motoman on 7/23/2009 10:52:13 AM , Rating: 2
I'm sorry, but you appear to be lost, and I'm tired of trying to help you. You go right on and believe whatever you want to believe whether or not a law is a guarantee of a right.


RE: Someone with money...
By DominionSeraph on 7/23/2009 7:03:47 PM , Rating: 2
No, you're just running away because we've passed the 'concept transfer' section of debate where baseless assertions can be bandied about, and so would now actually have to provide evidence supporting your beliefs. As you have none, to retain the illusion that you might, you must bow out now.

Someone who lets image trump truth is of no use to anyone.


DRM is not dead at all. Steam = DRM
By iFX on 7/20/2009 6:53:03 PM , Rating: 5
Steam is the ultimate DRM. Think about it, anything you buy on Steam isn't really a purchase of a game, it's a purchase of a game license. Since there is no real hard media you are at their mercy. In order to use your license you must be logged in so Steam can track your use of said license and Steam can even revoke that license if they choose to through account bans. Once you pay for your license that's it, you can never resell it or even give it away.




By Smilin on 7/20/2009 10:34:58 PM , Rating: 1
True, but nobody is bitching.

Maybe it's because music DRM in particular is very intrusive and doesn't let you do what you want with your purchase. Making a simple copy to be listened to by the same purchaser in a different setting is intolerably painful.

Steam on the other hand actually facilitates the purchaser playing the game wherever they choose. It's also is "self backing up" so to speak. Unless you are sitting down for the first time at a new computer the games require no internet connection at all.

The only two drawbacks are not having physical media that you could resell, and having to trust some entity in the "cloud" to honor your purchase agreement. I think the first will eventually be remedied and the second is something society is going to become accustomed to in the next decade.

Really though I think worries about Steam robbing someone are proportional to the size of your tinfoil hat.

The recording undustry though.. I don't have to wonder about them robbing me, they've been doing it ever since the mp3 made distribution costs drop to nearly zero while they kept charging me $15 per album.


By SavagePotato on 7/20/2009 11:58:28 PM , Rating: 2
There is hacked steam too.


RE: DRM is not dead at all. Steam = DRM
By Zingam on 7/21/09, Rating: 0
By tviceman on 7/21/2009 9:05:34 AM , Rating: 3
I really hope and want to believe that last sentence is just an outrageous joke.


By tviceman on 7/21/2009 9:15:00 AM , Rating: 3
As soon as you realize and start thinking of steam as a service, then the idea of DRM becomes negligent.

PC gaming has always pushed the envelope and despite dominant console sales there is still no exception. Future console makers see and will follow suit of what Steam is doing. And if you're really, truly worried about it now then you'll hate cloud computing and in 5-8 years you'll be "remembering when services like steam actually let you download the game."


Still refusing to buy ANY EA titles!
By Belard on 7/20/2009 5:47:37 PM , Rating: 5
As long as EA continues to use DRM tactics in their titles with the likes of SecuROM - I don't buy ANY of their games, period. And no, I don't have pirated versions.

But at least the pirated versions DON'T have DRM! So much for that. Go with CD-KEY, especially for multi-player.

Limited installs - screw you EA. Of course, one of the "good" things for limited installs is that it kills the game for 2nd hand resale. Duh, you've already made your money when Joe-12pak paid $50 for the game... better to have people playing the game than not.




RE: Still refusing to buy ANY EA titles!
By semo on 7/20/2009 8:20:00 PM , Rating: 2
who sucks more EA or DRM?

Why isn't this story getting more repplies? This is DRM we're talking about, HDCP and all that crap. I wonder if HDCP can somehow be scrapped as well? Maybe something like displayport... we can only hope


By cornelius785 on 7/20/2009 11:08:43 PM , Rating: 2
Well, since you mentioned HDCP, there is a stripper (HD Fury) being sold out there that can remove HDCP, for low low price of ~$200. I don't know about the loss of quality, but I have a feeling that it would be acceptable for me, a non-picture perfectionist.

I wouldn't count on 5c/DTCP being dropped/cracked any time soon or and more details on cracking HDCP. There is also this pesky thing called the DMCA too...


By akugami on 7/20/2009 4:41:57 PM , Rating: 5
The reason the RIAA has declared DRM dead for music is simply because of the huge opposition to it. Not only are consumers fed up with it, even an organization like the FTC is taking a closer look at DRM and whether it harms the consumers. While still extremely small there is some growing opposition among politicians to DRM.

To a degree, the downfall of DRM was because of the RIAA as well. Their insistence on DRM gave rise to Apple's dominance in the digital music business. Apple is now a Juggernaut with it's iPhones, iPods and iTunes store. With new distribution methods (DRM free) from indies that no longer sign with a label but sign on directly, or through an intermediary, and distribute through iTunes the RIAA is looking at extinction in the future as future artists bypass them.

The old music industry still has a huge catalog of old music and that will keep it going for a while but it still needs new products (songs) and musicians today are much more informed. Gone are the days of one sided contracts that favor only the RIAA members.

DRM was pretty much the RIAA's (and other media companies) way of trying to retain their old monopoly. It's not working as technology advances past them and musicians as well as consumers become more informed.

That isn't counting the rise of other media, most notably video games, that are vying for consumer dollars.

The RIAA did not want to declare DRM dead. They had no choice. This is one of the concessions in their attempt to woo customers back. It's probably too little too late.




By Silver2k7 on 7/20/2009 8:28:25 PM , Rating: 2
so if DRM is declared dead will there be any official tools to rip or make backups ofDVD-Audio ?


A bit off topic but still DRM...
By The0ne on 7/20/2009 5:01:44 PM , Rating: 2
Anyone read about the silent deletion of books from kindles? That was classic and hilarious to read :)

I'm glad DRM is dying.




RE: A bit off topic but still DRM...
By TomZ on 7/20/2009 5:34:45 PM , Rating: 3
I also love Amazon's response - we're sorry, we won't do that again. But did they say they would remove the capability from the format? Nope.


DRM removed?
By Jalek on 7/20/2009 7:21:36 PM , Rating: 3
Spore doesn't have DRM on Steam? It did initially, and I didn't even look at the game because of it.

Now that it's been a while.. I'm thinking that I no longer care. If it were that good a game, people would still be talking about it.

SecureROM is from the same people that created the rootkit for music CD's. I assume it's Sony's way of recouping all the money they lost in that fiasco, and EA seems happy to pay (and pass the costs along to customers, who are all just thieves anyway).

I've stopped even looking at new releases, it got old having to search through multiple reviews to find out what sort of DRM was included before ordering anything.




By totallycool on 7/21/2009 2:22:00 AM , Rating: 3
I mean really, just wow.

A five paragraph news story from just one quote, without providing a direct source to the interview or any other context for the quote, just wow.

Is dailytech really that desperate for views??




DRM not dead to Microsoft
By compuser2010 on 7/21/2009 4:17:15 AM , Rating: 3
I primarily use Windows Vista. However, I must boot back into XP whenever I need to record any audio. Windows 7 RC restores "What U Hear." But I should have all of my recording options available in Vista. This applies to Audacity and Creative Smart Recorder.




By aguilpa1 on 7/20/2009 4:19:45 PM , Rating: 2
I will be satisfied if they remove all those DRM streams built into the OS that limit our use of high definition audio and video for stuff we have already bought.




The Pirate Bay
By SiN on 7/20/2009 6:16:35 PM , Rating: 2
I wonder if this has anything to do with execs looking at TPB as a legit cash cow, and then hearing of the legions of PB users who say they will jump ship if they start implementing DRM on whatever is distributed through the protocol.

Either way, it's good news. I wonder when they'll start selling MP3s at a good quality. I Still prefer CD's for their bit rate. And having a physical copy is always nicer for archiving and the art work.




Color Me Skeptical
By GoodRevrnd on 7/20/2009 6:37:07 PM , Rating: 2
It's a trap!

I foresee them leaving the issue alone while they quietly work to standardize DRM policies at the hardware level. That way they can just bring it in full effective force at a later date.




By NuclearDelta on 7/20/2009 6:54:03 PM , Rating: 2
...and introduces "S.P.E!", Software protection environment. Similar to other nonsensical names, such as "Bing", "Google", and "Wii", SPE, pronounced Sp-ee, is a brand new way to help safeguard legitimate consumer's purchases.




When will the
By ira176 on 7/21/2009 1:27:41 AM , Rating: 2
RIAA go the way of the dinosaur?




Thankyou RIAA
By MrPoletski on 7/21/2009 8:39:14 AM , Rating: 2
For waking up and smelling the coffee.

Now do the world a favour and turn that shotgun on yourself.

Make sure you get your whole head in front of the shotgun before firing.




Praise the Lord
By Azsen on 7/20/2009 6:10:33 PM , Rating: 1
That's all I have to say on this matter.




DRM is dead ?
By doc2or on 7/20/09, Rating: -1
RE: DRM is dead ?
By Smilin on 7/20/2009 6:19:37 PM , Rating: 5
Tell them what?

You think MS likes writing DRM software that only costs them dev time but makes no profit? Trust me, MS hates DRM. All their employees hate it just as much as all of you reading this as well.

The only reason they do it is for YOU. Without DRM software then DRM enabled content could not be played AT ALL.

If you have a gripe, go talk to the content owners (or their representatives like the RIAA). MS is flipping zune content to mp3 as fast as the owners will allow.

BTW: Grow up. The $ doesn't make you l337 k3w1 h4x0r. It makes you look like either: 1) A 12y/o. or 2) some bitter old hater who still gripes about the Sasser worm a decade later.


RE: DRM is dead ?
By The0ne on 7/20/2009 7:22:26 PM , Rating: 2
I'm too old I think to be considering "l337 k3w1 h4x0r" and many others "cool." I really don't get it and I've been in the "scene" in high school and college. Probably different generations :) Go 300 baud Modems!


RE: DRM is dead ?
By HostileEffect on 7/21/2009 6:47:14 AM , Rating: 2
I would hope that our epic interwebz would develop software to run DRMed media...


RE: DRM is dead ?
By rbfowler9lfc on 7/21/2009 8:29:31 AM , Rating: 2
Someone give this man a 6 for the last paragraph!


"There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance." -- Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer











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