Why DRM is evil

[giza]

 
[Edit: This has been addressed by Google. See this post for an update!]

I just got this email from Google:

Date: 10 Aug 2007 21:21:50 -0000
Subject: Important information about your Google Video account
From: "Google Video Team" <checkout-support@google.com>

Hello,

As a valued Google user, we're contacting you with some important
information about the videos you've purchased or rented from Google Video.
In an effort to improve all Google services, we will no longer offer the
ability to buy or rent videos for download from Google Video, ending the
DTO/DTR (download-to-own/rent) program. This change will be effective
August 15, 2007.

To fully account for the video purchases you made before July 18, 2007, we
are providing you with a Google Checkout bonus for $2.00. Your bonus
expires in 60 days, and you can use it at the stores listed here:
http://www.google.com/checkout/signupwelcome.html. The minimum purchase
amount must be equal to or greater than your bonus amount, before shipping
and tax.

After August 15, 2007, you will no longer be able to view your purchased
or rented videos.

If you have further questions or requests, please do not hesitate to
contact us. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

The Google Video Team

So, that's it, the movie that I bought from them (an episode of Beavis and Butthead, actually) really isn't mine after all. Google just decided to turn off support for it and that's the end of it.

And that in a nutshell is why DRM is evil. You can buy a movie (or a game, or whatever), and if the content provider decided they don't like you, they can just disable it, and there is nothing that you can do about it.

Or, consider what might happen if say, the company that you bought your DRM-protected stuff from goes out of business? If there is no longer a legal entity in existence, then who is responsible to provide authentication so you can provide your content?

Comments

[kreggan.livejournal.com]

Bingo! This is about when a regular consumer realises that it's easier to go to bittorrent or kazaa or what-have-you and download a non-DRMed version that they can do whatever they like with.

[zorinlynx.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's disturbing.

Why can't they just give you the DRM key so you can just play it as much as you want? They should just do that for everyone so they can still enjoy their purchased stuff.

Wankers. Usually Google does good things; what the hell happened here?

[zorinlynx.livejournal.com]

Hmm, just curious; are they *fully* refunding you the purchase price of the videos? I figure if they do that, then *technically* you've lost nothing and they're not really scumbags...

...but the fact that they don't just give you a key to unlock the DRM is still annoying.

[wildw0lf.livejournal.com]

Was that the same $2 you paid for the content? In which case, maybe you can still get the episode from somewhere else? I agree though that it sucks that they just did that to you and everyone using the service for no reason. They own the giant search engine, gmail, and other assets. How much per year can it really cost to keep their little server up and running?

[taral.livejournal.com]

Mmm, class-action lawsuit...

[wendingo.livejournal.com]

I'd be more insulted at the 'DRM' in this bonus they are giving you. Just 2 dollars and they want you to buy something with it within 60 days.

And yeah, this DRM shit actually supports piracy. In a world where our rights are constantly restricted, we can't even own the things we buy any more, we simply 'lease' them. And when you do 'buy' something legit, you have to put up with DRM warnings that treat you like a criminal and in some cases, are forced to watch unskipible trailers.