Ars Technica reviews a recent UK consumer survey that contains some revealing opinions on the use of DRM.
Consumer Attitudes Toward DRM
August 6, 2007
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Episode 271: Taking Stock of a Wild Week in Canadian Digital Policy With the Online Streaming Reversal, AI Strategy Release, and Lawful Access Review
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I’ve always maintained that the DRM proponents have underestimated one important fact: traditionally “rights” have been an issue the consumer has never had to consider. It has been something that is fought and argued over by those in the business world and it doesn’t affect the consumer directly: once you buy a product it’s basically yours to do with what you want.
The only exception of this has been the audio/video “fair use” laws which have gone the consumer’s way and photocopying which everyone has happily ignored. Once you get into more complex rights management, the consumer as a whole is going to rebel, as shown by this survey.