Windows Vista: What does DRM mean to us?
Daniel and I were at the big gala Windows Vista launch in New York City this Monday. It was quite an impressive event — once we got inside. However, everyone had to stand in line in the freezing January winds blowing through Times Square. Heck, even the registration desk was outside. Billions of dollars spent on an operating system, and they couldn’t spend a few thousand dollars to rent some heaters to keep their invited guests from being chilled to the bone.
But discomfort aside, one interesting aspect of waiting outside was that we were pamphleted by individuals in yellow slickers with signs complaining about Microsoft DRM (Digital Rights Management), which they call “Digital Restrictions Management.” Their posters also called the new operating system “Defective By Design.” To quote the flyers that they distributed, “DRM within Microsoft Vista can restrict you from making private copies of your stuff. It makes no provision that would allow art, literature, music or film to ever fall into the public domain.” Apparently, they want everything to be free — software, books, movies, etc. But I may be simplifying their stand. (If you want to read more about their complaints, the pamphlets gave their Website as DefectiveByDesign.org/microsoft, while one of the posters, as pictured here, gave BadVista.org.)
I haven’t fully studied exactly what DRM really is or its implications (and I welcome any comments you might have about it). However, as an author and photographer, the yellow slickered protestors reminded me of one of the biggest problems of our Internet era. The public is becoming more and more used to getting free access on the Internet to anything they want. For those of us who earn our living by writing and/or creating other forms of art, the question becomes… how are we going to make a living if no one is willing to pay to read, see or listen to our work? Will the growth of the Internet mean the end of creative careers (versus hobbies)? And what will it mean to our society and our economy, if creativity is no longer rewarded? It’s an issue I plan to explore from many viewpoints as I continue to keep this journal. Naturally, I will ask it of various Wordsmiths Project photo subjects. In the meantime, please tell me what you think.
on January 31st, 2007 at 8:06 am EST
January 29th, 2007, the day Vista challenged the pocket books of the world.
I wonder, do all those people who want ‘freebies’… do they do
their jobs for free ? Do they live in decent homes and have all the living they desire for nothing? Do they really expect authors and artists to live in garrets? Shouldn’t they also be able to live in comfort, be able to buy books and art they like and have decent living wages?
“An hour’s work deserves an hour’s wage”
Communism did not work out
Electronic Communism will destroy all free thought
on January 31st, 2007 at 8:28 am EST
In The Millions litblog, in the comments of the entry at http://www.themillionsblog.com/2007/01/maps-added-to-google-books.html#comments, I’m having an interesting discussion with Max about whether Google’s (and other services) digitizing of books will hurt writers. You might want to go over and take a look.
on February 3rd, 2007 at 12:08 am EST
You basically get what you pay for.
People pushing DRM are exactly like people who think authors can give them a free book, not realizing we don’t own the book if we’re published traditionally.
I applaud their rights to speak their mind, but I’d love to ask them to give me their services free, whatever their field is.
Those of us who do this for a living have to treat it as such.
If all things were free, then we wouldn’t have a problem.
But the world just don’t work that way and I don’t care where you live, you have to cough up something for what you need. Or want.
Very thought-provoking piece. Thanks. Kay
on February 4th, 2007 at 2:28 am EST
The people who oppose DRM are hardly digital communists. This issue is quite a bit more complex than some of your commenters have made it out to be.
Those who oppose DRM aren’t arguing that artists should give their artistic creations away for free. Rather, they oppose proprietary technology systems that limit our abilities to consume media products.
Copyrights are important, but it’s also important to keep in mind that copyrights offer rights to consumers as well. DRM largely eliminates both fair use and the right of first sale.
Writers and musicians are not the ones who benefit from DRM. The beneficiaries are the technology companies who lock consumers into proprietary publishing solutions.
As far as Google Books goes, you should learn a little more about what Google is actually doing. They aren’t giving anything away for free. Rather, they’re creating the most efficient sales channel the publishing industry has ever known.