Cory Doctorow is now writing a column for the Guardian Unlimited on why Digital Rights Management (DRM) is annoying and frustrating to end users. He says:

DRM can’t make an honest person more honest. In fact, once a person has opted to buy - rather than pinch - your movie, all it can do is cause frustration. Why? Because DRM stops people from doing legitimate things - like using a new device (for example, playing a song from the iTunes store on a non-Apple player); like backing up a file; like selling, loaning or giving away a movie.

I agree 100%. Case in point - a few days ago I had just finished up to episode 20 of Supernatural Season 1 and wanted to see the last 2 episodes which happened to be on the last disc that Netflix hadn’t yet sent me.  I went online to purchase these 2 episodes either from Amazon Unboxed or iTunes (I didn’t care so long as I could watch them) and quickly learned that neither allow you to download episodes you’ve purchased, burn them to a DVD and play them in a regular DVD player. Unboxed will allow you to play them on a tv IF you have Tivo.  iTunes doesn’t even allow that.

Now I ask - why should I pay to download tv episodes when I can’t even burn them to a DVD and play them on my DVD player?  I was so annoyed, I just ordered the box set (which, I might add, is running $19.95 for the box set of 22 episodes. Compare that to $1.99/downloaded episode - they really believe the digital copies are twice as valuable?) . I’m waiting for Supernatural - The Complete Second Season to be released Sept 11. I have it pre-ordered along with Season One of Heroes since I now refuse to buy DRM-laced digital downloads.

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