3 ms·
Piracy is just a convenient excuse. DRM is really about control. It's a technical trick that thanks to DMCA anti-reverse engineering clauses becomes a legal tr
by pornel 2y ago
Piracy is just a convenient excuse.
DRM is really about control. It's a technical trick that thanks to DMCA anti-reverse engineering clauses becomes a legal trick to dictate exactly who and how can play the content, much tighter than what copyright and consumer laws allow by default.
For example, without DRM you couldn't effectively sell separate licenses for computer screens and TVs, because users could just connect their computer to a TV.
DRM allows negotiating everything about distribution, up to who pays who for having a button on the TV remote.
Those who control the DRM have a veto power over everything, and have it viciously enforced internationally thanks to it being tied to copyright.
- pie_flavor 2y agoWhat are you talking about? You can connect your computer to a TV just fine. No, lost sales are not 'just a convenient excuse', the sales they lose to piracy are far more numerous than the ones they'd gain with this fictional system that relies on people being willing to throw away money for no reason. 'It's about control' is a favorite element of conspiracy theories but corresponds to no real-world corporate need.