[BLOG] The stigma of DRM
I bought a iTunes "season pass" for the television show House this weekend, and I feel a little ashamed. Not about the show, which is probably the best drama on TV. It's because my fellow geeks will look down on me for it - I purchased television content.
A season of House is 16 episodes, which is almost 12 hours of content. At standard definition, the cost is $40. That's about 4-times the length of a really long movie for double the cost of a DVD; not too shabby. I don't have cable or satellite, meaning I'm saving $80 a month and buying a few shows instead is well-worth the trade off. So, if it makes financial sense, why do I get the feeling that most people I know think it's dumb to buy something available on ThePirateBay?
I really believe it's the DRM. After I buy it, it's stuck on my iTunes account and non-existent iPod. Why? Because the same suits who think they're protecting their content this way have enforced a policy that typically compels most technically-able (not even necessarily savvy) people to pirate the content rather than deal with the arbitrary restrictions.
So I'll enjoy my House this season, and maybe even 24, but that iTunes movie library will be empty until Jobs scores one for the consumer and rids the Store of DRM. The latest XKCD sums it up nicely: either way, you're a criminal.
A season of House is 16 episodes, which is almost 12 hours of content. At standard definition, the cost is $40. That's about 4-times the length of a really long movie for double the cost of a DVD; not too shabby. I don't have cable or satellite, meaning I'm saving $80 a month and buying a few shows instead is well-worth the trade off. So, if it makes financial sense, why do I get the feeling that most people I know think it's dumb to buy something available on ThePirateBay?
I really believe it's the DRM. After I buy it, it's stuck on my iTunes account and non-existent iPod. Why? Because the same suits who think they're protecting their content this way have enforced a policy that typically compels most technically-able (not even necessarily savvy) people to pirate the content rather than deal with the arbitrary restrictions.
So I'll enjoy my House this season, and maybe even 24, but that iTunes movie library will be empty until Jobs scores one for the consumer and rids the Store of DRM. The latest XKCD sums it up nicely: either way, you're a criminal.
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