Happy Internation Day Against DRM!

Today in celebration of International Day Against DRM, I tightened up my recommended links relating to DRM-free entertainment as guided by GOG.com’s campaign site. So now via greater focus Odysseus will guide it’s new surfers towards ethically distributed media they can actually view in Odysseus or elementary’s other apps. Feel free to checkout these links in your celebration!

And now for the rest of this post, let me elaborate on why I hate DRM (Digital Restriction Mechanisms), and why “DRM” (pronounced DiRM!) has become the only swearword I regularly use.

It comes down to the fact I respect personal property. That is I respect your ownership over your own computer, and if you use my software I see it as my job to help you exercise that ownership rather than get in your way. DRM works against this.

It uses false and fragile security tactics to try and force you to use software chosen by the distributor of the art you want to enjoy rather than by you. All because they’re afraid of the illegal activities you might get up to if you got to decide, not to mention that by blocking these illegal activities they also inherantly block a range of important legal activities as well. Because computers are not capable of understanding the nuances of the legal system.

Though I’m sure fear of piracy isn’t their real reason for insisting on DRM, they can’t be that naive. Instead I believe these distribution companies view DRM as a way to sell back to you for money the freedoms they’ve taken away.

But to wrap up, W3C’s EME “recommendation” puts me in a uncomfortable position. I don’t want to restrict any of you in any way, but having DRM on the web means I have to either tell you that you can’t watch e.g. Netflix or that you can’t download their shows. In the face of this I’ve committed to not tolerating intolerance, but I’m not happy about it.

So please! Create more DRM free art I can link people to and thus do my part in taking down Hollywood!