DRM shows its evil after provider plans disabling bought music
Posted on 02/06/06 01:06 by Seán Byrne                             
DRM shows its evil after provider plans disabling bought music

Most consumers of DRM crippled music download services are well aware of at least some of the restrictions in place, such as being limited to listening to their music on certain PCs to what players one may transfer their music to.  However, what some may not realise is that these restrictions are not fixed and may be freely changed depending on the service provider.  For example, imagine the record labels deciding all the sudden to start taking CDs off consumers because they decided they are no longer entitled to keep their legally purchased CDs, well this seems to be exactly what is happening with a few Dutch OD2 based providers in the Netherlands when it comes to music purchased as downloads.

For example, one Dutch broadband provider which runs a music service by LoudEye offers a choice of ways to listen to its music - Stream, Download for PC playback, Download+ for PC & media player support and a 30 second fragment.  Unfortunately, consumers who purchased music as downloads using the service have only recently found out that the music they purchased may no longer be playable after January 1st 2007 after the record labels decided to no longer support the downloading of music on the store's service.

This is not the first time content providers have decided to revoke content from providers, for example, consumers with TiVo's who recorded a certain eiposide of the Simpsons or King of the Hill lost the right the right to playback their recordings after the content provider apparently decided to no longer allow the playback of these (despite the Simpsons issue being called a 'bug").  Thanks to mrdataNY for letting us know about the following news:

One of the lesser discussed but equally troubling evils of digital rights management technology is what I call the "DRM switcheroo."  The DRM switcheroo is where the person or company sitting at the DRM controls over the content you've accumulated under one set of rules switches to a new set of rules.  What, you don't like the rules? Tough noogies.  Because such DRM controls exist, content licensors and providers can pretty much decide to have their way with the content you think you have a right to use.  

(further down within an e-mail about the Dutch ISP)

I would say that they're making an absolute case for totally getting rid of the DRM as they are actually taking away the possibility to listen to the music you've legally bought. It might have been bought via a cheap method, but legally, you where entitled to listen to it on your PC.  The only possible means to still listen to your [downloaded] music would actually mean that you've got to disconnect your PC from the Net as then they won't be able to update the licensed files (assuming that they have not already done so). 

The idiocy of course is that you've bought a product which the seller than decides he doesn't want to support anymore and then revokes your license using DRM.

The full article can be read here.  C|net gives further examples of various problems experienced with DRM in this article.

This is just another example of how badly DRM is going out of hand.  For example, in this case it is like the record labels coming to knock on their customer's doors to demand their CDs back saying that they have decided that consumers no longer have the right to keep these CDs.  With DRM, this is straight forward to do, since the player needs to authenticate with the content providers server to check the song's licensing, at least for the first playback. 

mrdataNY added:  This really high lights a major problem with DRM and the draconian methods of the "powers that be". People work hard for the money in which they receive and when they follow the rules... they are punished by it. Where would that same person go the next time?.... hmmm

Source: ZDNet - Blogs

Reactions
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By LastStand, Friday 02 June 2006 03:01
LastStandThis is guess this is the new business model, pay, then pay and maybe pay again. DRM makes this all possible and if you don't like it, soon there will be no way to get music from even the radio. Guess you will have to do without and if you use p2p there will be long stays in jail or they will sue you so that you don't have the money to feed yourself.
[edited by LastStand on 02.06.2006 03:04]
By Hypnosis4U2NV, Friday 02 June 2006 04:21
Hypnosis4U2NVA new acronym for DRM - Doesnt Really Matter.. They will never get it..
By CowboySlim, Friday 02 June 2006 06:52
Doesn't Really Matter to me, either. When I purchase a download, I assume a somewhat degraded final product. So, while still logged in, I burn it out once as CD Audio and the rip it back in as 160Kbps WMA or MP3 which is no longer DRM'd. My main use is in a $100 boombox primarily outdorrs while camping and the fidelity loss is imperceptible. So it Doesn't Really Matter anyway. biggrin
By yronnen, Friday 02 June 2006 19:17
What did you expect? The purpose of DRM was never to stop piracy (even if that's what the media provider said), but to create a constant revenue stream. The best way to create a revenue stream is by selling a service, not a product. They sell you the songs as a service (i.e. it will play for a month), and if you want to listen some more, pull out this credit card of yours.
By rla, Friday 02 June 2006 23:19
...and just like the greed mongers in the industry, I'm betting the dumb ass public will just keep on spending their money while they get less and less. It is a shame how easy it is to manipulate a modern society like they are a bunch of sheep...just incredible.
By greg42, Saturday 03 June 2006 22:59
Oh and what about your fair use rights ? devil And I always believed DRM stood for Draconian Rights Mangled supergrin
By maximumpayne, Sunday 04 June 2006 16:29
No wonder P2P usage is going up already. The more they keep up their path of tyranny, the more they'll go down in flames. P.S.: In case you people didn't know, there are methods and/or freeware/opensource programs to remove DRM. You can always do a google search for those.
By Nil Einne, Monday 05 June 2006 04:06
I'm surprised this isn't againt Dutch consumers laws. Or maybe it is and the company is simply hoping nothing will be done about it...
By themushroom, Wednesday 07 June 2006 00:14
A few years ago a major ISP spoke of offering music downloads (I don't recall through what service) and when you read the print, you discovered you were renting the music by the month. I don't know if they are still offering that "service"...
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