Copy Prevention, Or Why Drm Sucks

I guess I should be glad that Sony's evil plan to auto-install anti-copying software on PCs the world over has met with the bad press and dim reception it so richly deserves, http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2005/11/sony_bmg_has_ju.html but it just means the next attempt to limit sharing will be that much trickier. Mike Evangelista, a former Apple Computer suit, nails it exactly: “They want to pretend to ’sell' us their product, but they don't want us to actually have it.” His great little rant and resulting discussion http://writersblocklive.com/?p=62 is rife with righteous disdain for shifty Digital Rights Management tactics, e.g.: “How did this shit come to be called copy protection? It is clearly intended to be copy prevention.” Still don't get the whole DRM thing? Check out the EFF's “User ‘s Guide to DRM in Online Music” http://www.eff.org/IP/DRM/guide/ and marvel at all the ways you can't enjoy the music you just bought.