Windows Vista: What does DRM mean to us?
tags:
copyright, DRM, Technology, Vista, Windows, writing career
Daniel and I were at the big gala Windows Vista launch in New York City this Monday. It was quite an impressive event — once we got inside. However, everyone had to stand in line in the freezing January winds blowing through Times Square. Heck, even the registration desk was outside. Billions of dollars spent on an operating system, and they couldn’t spend a few thousand dollars to rent some heaters to keep their invited guests from being chilled to the bone.
But discomfort aside, one interesting aspect of waiting outside was that we were pamphleted by individuals in yellow slickers with signs complaining about Microsoft DRM (Digital Rights Management), which they call “Digital Restrictions Management.” Their posters also called the new operating system “Defective By Design.” To quote the flyers that they distributed, “DRM within Microsoft Vista can restrict you from making private copies of your stuff. It makes no provision that would allow art, literature, music or film to ever fall into the public domain.” Apparently, they want everything to be free — software, books, movies, etc. But I may be simplifying their stand. (If you want to read more about their complaints, the pamphlets gave their Website as DefectiveByDesign.org/microsoft, while one of the posters, as pictured here, gave BadVista.org.)
I haven’t fully studied exactly what DRM really is or its implications (and I welcome any comments you might have about it). However, as an author and photographer, the yellow slickered protestors reminded me of one of the biggest problems of our Internet era. The public is becoming more and more used to getting free access on the Internet to anything they want. For those of us who earn our living by writing and/or creating other forms of art, the question becomes… how are we going to make a living if no one is willing to pay to read, see or listen to our work? Will the growth of the Internet mean the end of creative careers (versus hobbies)? For those of us who love the arts, live for reading, the question becomes will our society end up accepting less than professional work as the highest form of art? And what will it mean to our society and our economy, if creativity is no longer rewarded? It’s an issue I plan to explore from many viewpoints as I continue to keep this journal. And I will ask it of various Wordsmiths Project photo subjects. In the meantime, please tell me what you think.
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