http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/Sep 22nd 2006 12:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/Sep 22nd 2006 12:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
I have no problems with content migration - ripping DVDs I own for my iPod, or CDs to MP3s, and I wouldn't strip the DRM if I didn't have to to do so.]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
That is why I would never buy any music that is DRM'd.]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
And anyway, you can burn protected AAC tracks from iTunes to an audio CD if you want to, no problem.]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/Sep 22nd 2006 12:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
I'm certainly not an economist, but it seems to me that the intangibility of the goods is one of the main keys to understanding how the digital content marketplace really works. And, distinct from other intangibles, such as a contract or financial instruments, digital content literally has to be experienced in order for the buyer to assign their relative value to the thing. If you buy a movie without having seen it first, you are doing so based on very incomplete information. Far more incomplete, it seems, than buying produce without tasting it. I'm not sure where these observations might lead, but they seem relevant if we're really trying to understand how and why parties behave the way that they do in this market.

** An un-natural reason would be if distributors offered only 1000 downloads of a song or movie, in order to great a sense of scarcity.

->R]]>Sep 22nd 2006 1:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
You cannot apply the "normal rules of commerce" to something on the consumer end of things, when the producer side of the equation doesn't do the same.

Yes, I agree, we could just not consume these products to show our distaste for the methods being applied to them. But really one must ask, why did the system have to change? It was fine the way it was (or is in the case of most things).]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
I think this comment is where the heart of the debate is. The real debate is if you can own content and under what terms. Some feal content can't not be owned at all; while others feal they should be able to control it in every way they can imagen.

Owner ship is the core of the debate.]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/Sep 22nd 2006 12:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/Sep 22nd 2006 2:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/Sep 22nd 2006 3:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
Jeremy... then do what I do. Don't download DRM music. Buy CDs. Apple and the record label could both go completely belly up, and I'll still be able to play my music as long as the battery in my iPod holds out. Oh, wait...]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/Sep 22nd 2006 12:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
I say screw them, the only time I(gladly) pay for legit software is when I buy my Nintendo games :p .]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/Here is the crux of the issue. Here on the interwebs, almost everyone is likely to know about DRM, why it is bad, and refuse to succumb to it. In the wider world, people don't. They don't know they're paying the same as a CD for a file that may or may not play the next day, or at someone else's house, or on their portable player. But they'll pay anyway, because they don't know, and the seller isn't going to tell them. The buyer is agreeing to terms of which they are unaware of.]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
How do we get away from the polarization. Put the copyright laws back the way the founding fathers of this country wrote them. Treat the consumer with respect. Target the true criminals, and not the student that copies a CD from a guy down the hall. That'd be a start.]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/Sep 22nd 2006 3:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/Imagine Ford, Toyota, Honda, and GM decided to start putting large pointy spikes squarly on the drivers seat (umm. for whatever reason :-). You could simply choose not to buy those brands, but then you'd be relegated mostly to Citroens (read: weird indy distributors). It seems to me that when large stakeholders in the market decide to screw up that market, consumers voicing their opposition aren't without merit. Point being, if I can't buy the music I want because it's going to install trojans on my computer, I won't buy it, but I'll also might start yelling in frustration.]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/Sep 22nd 2006 12:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/Sep 22nd 2006 12:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
The corollary here is that I pay for my internet access, and feel that said payment should allow me to freely browse any content my browser has access to. While there are vastly different legal and ethical arguments at work, in some cases, it's perceptually the same: I have paid my entry fee, I'm in the club, and I want to be able to walk around.]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
You tell me. Did you pay to use the Pirate Bay logo?]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use#Fair_use_under_United_States_law
]]>Sep 25th 2006 11:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/Sep 22nd 2006 12:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
Would you rip off a hamburger (or whatever they call them) from McDonalds? I hear they make billions.

I don't have enough money to justify owning a car right now (college student). Is it alright for me to just steal one? If so, should I steal a Ford or a Citroën?]]>Sep 22nd 2006 4:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
Personally I think it has a lot more to do with the fact that it is intangible. Most people have no issue buying that $300 ipod because it does something and I can "use" it, while the music or video is just there. There is also no arguing that people want to stick it to the labels for the years of overpriced cds as well.]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
I do agree, though, that people have lost sight of the fact that digital content is property like any other tangible good. Including myself. I missed the season premiere of 'The Office' yesterday, and I'll probably just torrent it. No ads, no support for the network, nothing.

Hmmm]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/Sep 22nd 2006 1:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/Sep 22nd 2006 12:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/Sep 22nd 2006 1:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
Basically, because the Audio Home Recording act of 1992 allows consumers to make private and personal copies of their music, the only legal way around this is to wrap a digital file in some sort of DRM. The genius of that is that the recording industry THEN made it illegal to break digial copyright protections of any kind!

So you have a direct conflict in law. People can make copies of whatever they want, so long as they don't break the copyright control while doing so.

I agree, that its our job as consumers to NOT purchase DRM on whose terms we disagree with. I think thats the reason the iTunes music store has been so successful: It strikes a balance between purchaser and producer that most people find acceptable.

]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
My biggest problem with DRM is that it doesn't stop piracy, it simply "keeps honest users honest." Perhaps I'm being selfish, but I don't need to be kept honest. I buy music because I want the music, and I buy movies because I want the movies and, thanks to DVD, the features that come with them. I make a decision to exchange money for a good that I perceive has a value that is somehow equal to the amount of money I'm exchanging. Yet I'm the one that has to be kept honest. That seems strange to me, like writing tickets for everyone who drives a car capable of breaking the speed limit (which is every car on the road today) since they could theoretically break the speed limit.

DRM and anticircumvention don't stop piracy, in fact it seems to drive people towards piracy. When sheet music publishers wanted to ban the piano roll they failed, and piano roll publishers had to pay a license fee that sheet music publishers had to accept. When broadcasters wanted to ban cable they failed, and cable companies had to pay a license that broadcasters had to accept. Why can't the same thing happen with content on the Internet? ]]>Sep 23rd 2006 7:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
This has been happening for years with software, games and the like, why do you think Nintendo makes cartridges instead of just downloading a file, media has now entered the realm, what the heck did they expect. DRM doesn't equal value to the customer, it takes away some the value. When the consumer sees the value of the product then the trading will subside.

]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
Artists are often tied to companies. Many times the two have very different agendas. And only when an artist reaches cult status can they "try" and change the rules.

I look at Prince and The Grateful Dead as prime examples. But of course they had "status".

Can artists survive on concerts, t-shirt sales, and other material goods? Does someone who loves their work "sell-out" so they can achieve cult status, or never sell-out and stay true? You ask many questions about the reader's use of DRM but maybe the root cause is earlier in the process.]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
The issue of labels screwing the artists is a well-trodden one. One solution could be for the labels to be more transparent about what kind of monies actually make it to the artists. This could relieve some resentment - ultimately however, ideally, i'd like to buy my music directly from the artist.]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
However, there are several ways to support artists directly. Online independent distributors, such as CDbaby.com, have been an incredible tool for artists to get their music distributed and still keep the majority of their sales. Consumers can also, as mentioned previously, go see the artist on tour and buy their album/merchandise at the show.

I've also noticed a lot of talk about DRM'd music being inferior to physical media. To that end, I wonder if piracy would decrease if iTunes/Rhapsody/etc offered CD-quality .wav files with DRM enclosures. The same holds true for movies. If you could download a full movie with special features, etc. from iTunes and then burn it to a DVD, would people still complain? And, would people continue to bittorrent movies? Sadly, I think both would continue, but to a lesser extent.

As an artist and an individual, I think the reason that iTunes (and others) has succeeded is because they have found the right balance between consumer and content creator rights. As a consumer, I feel that ninety-nine cents for a song is a fair price, and the ability to burn a CD and then rip it into any format alleviates my fears of platform obsolescence. As an artist, I know that I will sell more songs based on the convenience of fans being able to download music from the comfort of their own home and then load it immediately onto their portable music player.

Pending DRM issues, such as the infamous broadcast flag and HDCP, are a little more disconcerting. However, I honestly feel that the market will strike a balance. Personally, after reading about Amazon's Unbox license agreement at http://www.boingboing.net/2006/09/15/amazon_unbox_to_cust.html, I will not be buying from them. But, other people may be perfectly fine with the terms. Ultimately, if someone is providing an inferior product or service (i.e. locked-down, rootkitted media), then that just means that there is an opening in the market for someone else to provide a better alternative.

============================
Allen Guthier
Manager, Marce's Music
Marce - "Gainesville's Joni Mitchell"
http://www.marceonline.com
http://www.myspace.com/marceonline]]>Sep 22nd 2006 3:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
The event that made me the most indignant towards the movie studios is for the last TV show episode that I downloaded (before being sent a warning from my ISP and the production studio). It was for some TV show which I was watching live, and my incompetent local TV network cut off the end of the show. I took the risk of downloading it, after sitting through the commercials, and look where it got me. I don't enjoy that show much anymore, and I stay away from that network/studio.

I think I have a negative reaction to copyright holders because they have unreasonable expectations. I don't care that they want money. I go out and buy all my music and movies and TV shows on physical media. I do that because I think the price is reasonable. But if we move into this world of digital media as everyone expects, and I'm still being charged the same amount for something of less value (a DRM'd barebones digital movie vs a full DVD with special features and packaging), then I'm going to think seriously about "breaking the rules."]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
I think you are missing the point of the article. When you buy a good, you agree to the terms that come with that good. I.E. you buy a computer with a 3 year warranty, you agree to the terms of that warranty and whether or not it covers you dropping your laptop on the floor. OR you buy a shirt on clearance, you accept when you buy it that you may not be able to return it. Also, most service company contracts come with clauses that they can change the price of your service at any time, as long as they give you notice. When you sign up for cable tv, a phone line, or a cell phone you agree to the terms provided. Similarly, when you buy a song from iTunes or from Rhapsody, or any other online music store -- you are also agreeing to the fact that the songs only work with certain players, can only work on a certain number of computers and the rest of the limits. It is inherent in your purchase -- you have agreed to the terms of trade. So if in those terms, it states that you can download unlimited songs but the songs only work for as long as you have membership -- you don't have the "right" to rip off the DRM because you feel that a time limited or service dependent contract is fair for your music. If you buy software that works on windows xp but suddenly decides to stop working on your new computer with vista -- that is something you accepted when you bought the software. Many games no longer work with newer operating systems -- does that give you the right to steal new games, since you never know when they will stop being supported or stop working with a new operating system?

Whether or not it is "fair" that DRM exists or limits your ability to enjoy your music is not the scope of this article (in my opinion). Instead, all that is being said is that you have a right to either buy or not buy what is being offered -- not a right to steal it. ]]>Sep 22nd 2006 4:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
The arguments about 'fair use' is meaningless anyway. If the terms say you cannot do this or that then you cannot do it. Additionally fair-use arguments often get muddled in the consumers mind. Frequently such laws apply only to American consumers. Here in the EU we have never had such laws. There was a plan to allow up to 3 copies of a product to be made from a CD - the logic being, a copy for the car, one for the computer and another for an MP3 player, however this became irrelevent when the terms and conditions of a downloaded purchase would superseed this and the European Parliament did not approve it.

The point is you do NOT have the rights to do what you want with a product you have purchased unless the seller gives you those rights. You may disagree with them but that's your choice, you still have no rights to steal or break the terms of that agreement you entered into with the retailer just because you've changed your MP3 player etc.]]>Sep 22nd 2006 2:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
EFF:
4. What's been recognized as fair use?

Courts have previously found that a use was fair where the use of the copyrighted work was socially beneficial. In particular, U.S. courts have recognized the following fair uses: criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, research and parodies.

In addition, in 1984 the Supreme Court held that time-shifting (for example, private, non-commercial home taping of television programs with a VCR to permit later viewing) is fair use. (Sony Corporation of America v. Universal City Studios, 464 U.S. 417 (1984, S.C.)

Although the legal basis is not completely settled, many lawyers believe that the following (and many other uses) are also fair uses:

* Space-shifting or format-shifting - that is, taking content you own in one format and putting it into another format, for personal, non-commercial use. For instance, "ripping" an audio CD (that is, making an MP3-format version of an audio CD that you already own) is considered fair use by many lawyers, based on the 1984 Betamax decision and the 1999 Rio MP3 player decision (RIAA v. Diamond Multimedia, 180 F. 3d 1072, 1079, 9th Circ. 1999.)
* Making a personal back-up copy of content you own - for instance, burning a copy of an audio CD you own.
]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
The reason people have a different set of rules for entertainment content is because people are offered a choice between free un-DRMed media and expensive DRMed media and unlike the restaurant comparison you won't get arrested for downloading illegal media (if you have any idea what you're doing) and the society we live in now doesn’t look down on it.]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
Many people seem to associate the cost of a DVD with the physical disk and box. They just don't grasp the concept that you are paying for a portion of the movie/software's original production costs. It's the same with cars - some people believe that you are paying for the parts and labor to build the car, but do not understand that they are also paying for a portion of the engineering costs.]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
Not only these problems, but it has been proven that DRM reduces the battery life of your mp3 player by up to 25%.

I fully support buying music, I would buy it offline in a heartbeat, I am not argueing that that people should steal music. However, I dont see programs that remove DRM from music you already own to be a problem.

Just because DRM is currently the only solution, I dont think we should just say, Oh well, it is a horrible solution, but it works... Because it doesnt work, it forces more people to go to download websites to get music that they can then use anywhere they want.

You are not renting from the music companies, you buy the music, you should be able to use it where you want to use it. However owning the music does not give you the right to give it to other people for free.]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/Sep 22nd 2006 12:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
Content owners are trying to eliminate any possibility of taking advantage of the fair use provision in the law -- so let's not be so quick to blame the consumer.

Time/place shifting are fair use. Photocopying for your own personal use is fair use. Is converting a DVD to DivX really any different than photocopying? No -- it's fair use, but the content owners are trying to prevent that. Why is the customer the problem here?]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
Mostly though, technically savvy people are pissed off because the war that content providers are waging on technology is ridiculous. Restrictive DRM doesn't do anything to punish those that steal content. It only harms those that actually purchase today's digital content. Plus, any product that is slightly innovative inevitably gets sued out of existence. I have a Slingbox and I love it, but it is only a matter of time until content providers, cable/dsl providers, and mobile providers gang up on SlingMedia and run them out of business.

Products like the Slingbox expose the reality that today's marketplace only serves to suck consumers dry and rip off content creators. ]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
In Europe it's all about "consumer rights." Who cares what the maker of the product thinks. That's their attitude.

In reality, content rights holders should just release the content in one place with all the rights (like on DVD, or online w/o DRM). Now it's going to be a lot more expensive.... is it worth it? I don't think so. No one wants to pay 3 times as much so they can actually own the rights to do whatever they want with the music.]]>Sep 22nd 2006 1:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/
Man, where the hell have you guys been for the last couple years? Rootkit, anyone? Buying CD's is often *worse* than buying DRM'd downloads, and worse still, many of the DRM schemes used on CD's are shrouded in secrecy. We didn't know about the rootkit fiasco until millions of these CD's had already been purchased and hundreds of thousands of PC's infected. We don't know about a lot of the other DRM schemes still in use; their makers purposely do not release details on them, lest they be broken.

Buying CD's is no longer a solution to this problem.

As for this "entitlement" nonsense, no such sentiment exists. This is an argument put forth by the RIAA, since it supports their cause. But it's just like when the Republicans say the Democrats want to "cut and run" in Iraq. No Democrat has ever suggested that; it's a Republican argument. Same thing here. Make the argument that your opponents want to do something that's obviously stupid and wrong, even when they have made no such argument. It puts them on the defensive, as they now have to explain their position. And often, the accusation sticks even in the face of a compelling counter-argument.

I may as well say "why does the RIAA want to steal your babies and sacrifice them to Satan? How can they defend this position?" Now, I'm just a little guy, so nobody's going to listen to me. But what if, say, a large corporation said it? Or a lobbying group the size of the RIAA? Or a respected politician? You'd have blogs, newspapers and TV shows all over the place inviting the RIAA to defend themselves and their position. You'd have Hardball doing talking points on it. You'd have Bill O'Reilly putting it in his no-spin zone.

Well, I'm not going to explain my position. I don't feel I have to. DRM is evil and that's it. The reasons why are self-evident, and no accusation that I feel I'm "entitled" to steal content is going to cloud the issue for me. What I am entitled to do is use what I pay for in the way I see fit, which is the same as any other product.

]]>Sep 22nd 2006 12:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/the-clicker-digital-content-why-the-sense-of-entitlement/Sep 22nd 2006 2:05PM