If not for DRM, the 900 blues songs I don't own but have on my Creative Zen Micro wouldn't be there, because Napster wouldn't have been given permission by copyright holders to let the tracks be untethered from my computer. DRM equals more choice. I've chosen Napster To Go, others choose tethered subscription services, still others pay-per-download, etc. Even Consumer Federation of America's Mark Cooper, a champion of the Free Culture Movement, testified on the Hill recently that DRM furthers consumer choice.

I raise this seemingly obvious point because it's not obvious to everyone. Donna Wentworth unleashes bile in this quote from the Copyfight blog, regarding a conference: "Alec French, whose expression throughout is a disturbing, dead-eyed near-sneer, argues with a straight face that DRM benefits consumers because it gives them more choice." Alec's face was straight because he was speaking the truth. Donna ignores evidence (my Napster To Go, for example, or even iTunes) to make a flawed argument, and again demonstrates an inability to criticize one's position without making the criticism personal.

No middle ground here.

posted by Patrick Ross @ 11:04 AM | DRM & Watermarks, etc.

Link to this Entry | Printer-Friendly | Email a Comment | Post a Comment(0)