Xu: How and why DRM has failed
I download music illegally.
I tried to be legal, to buy my CDs and use the online music stores legally. I want to support the bands whose music I enjoy. But the very thing the music companies use to protect themselves from piracy — Digital Rights Management — pushed me into the murky waters of the black market.
Here’s the scenario: I went onto the iTunes Music Store and clicked “buy” next to a song. The word itself suggests that I’m buying that song. A legal market transaction. A full transfer of ownership from the big boys at Warner Bros. to me. I want to put the song...
You aren't getting your music on the "black market." You're stealing it. (But you're not paying someone else for it.)
Personal Experience:
I have purchased about $150 worth of music from iTunes. One day I log into iTunes and for whatever reason it requires me to activate the music (even though it should already have been activated). However, even though I kept on activating the "locked" music with my account (and it kept on displaying the "music activated" message), I couldn't access my music. iTunes Customer Service took 10 Weeks to determine the bug and fix my access, and I couldn't listen to any of my songs for that length of time.
Although I already knew DRM was terrible, after that firsthand experience I'm never going to legally download a song and not remove the DRM again. I recommend programs like M4P Converter, which will remove DRM from a computer without the hassel of actually burning a cd (it virtually burns the cd on your computer).
I'm not "stealing" anything Anon!!! DRM does not keep people from stealing -- individuals who want to steal will use BitTorrent sites. I'm merely opening up access for my own PERSONAL USE.
People who want to steal will find a way to steal but DRM merely keeps honest people like myself from being able to access their music.
Agreed that DRM is a flawed, unsustainable, and nigh unethical business practice. It's good that this is being recognized in public discourse.
Ultimately, though, the most effective response is probably to vote with your wallet: refuse to "buy" any DRM-tainted data. For music, try shifting loyalties to a company like amazon, which offers its songs as simple mp3's.