

Apparently Microsoft "ironclad" piracy protections aren't really that strong





  • Seed those apps in a torrent for peer to peer distribution
  • Remove XAP security signature: needs work




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RE: If you don't like DRM.
By adiposity on 1/3/2011 8:42:25 PM , Rating: 2
Then do you leave your front door unlocked? Do you leave your car unlocked? Both can be broken into by a determined thief. After all, a lock only keeps out the honest.

A personal lock is more analogous to having a password for your on-line account. Only you are meant to get in, and the password (to a certain extent) ensures this.

The electronic keys they give you at a hotel might better be compared to DRM. You are allowed limited access to a room, but that access can be revoked at any time. Also, you may get unlucky and "your" key doesn't work. While the hotel owner also wants to prevent theft, the electronic key allows him to control the length of the client's stay. Obviously, this analogy is imperfect, but is closer to DRM.

Therefore, whether I lock my house door has nothing to do with whether I agree with DRM. I lock my door to secure personal property, but I use DRM to control distribution of data, while simultaneously, deliberately allowing limited use of that data. It's the second part that makes DRM an issue: as a vendor you don't want consumers to have difficultly accessing a product they have paid for.

Unfortunately these analogies fail to deal with the fact that electronic piracy is largely invisible to the vendor and may not even be detrimental, while leaving hotel rooms unlocked is definitely not good for business.


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