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Digital Restrictions Management: What's the point?

Discussion in 'Archives' started by Muffinator, Dec 9, 2007.

  1. Muffinator

    Muffinator Active Member

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    Digital Restrictions Management: What's the point?

    Presumably, the point of DRM is that if people can get something illegally, they will not buy it legally where they would have otherwise; or that if they can't get it illegally, they will buy it legally.
    It can be clearly shown that neither is the case by examining the consumer demographics...

    First, there is the person who will buy your product no matter what. As a company, you do not make any more money off of this person with DRM than without it.

    Next, there is the person who will buy your product if it is convenient. Through DRM, you are making it inconvenient, thus your DRM is losing you money.

    Then there's me, the person who will buy your product as long as it has no bullshit attached. Without DRM, I will buy your product because it is a good product; with DRM, I will avoid giving you any money out of spite. Even if the DRM stops me from pirating your product, I will still boycott you.

    And finally there is the actual pirate. Sure, by having DRM you might be stopping this person from getting your product illegally, but you are also not replacing pirate with purchase. People pirate software because they don't want to pay for it, not because of convenience (except in the case of demographic 2 meeting DRM.) So just like with demographic 1 you are not making any more money via DRM.


    So in the end, a company only loses money by having DRM with its products, and gains none.
     
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