What is the price of DRM (Digital Rights Management)?

[JRose]

DRM programs is coming in Windows vista and in some new hardware. DRM could ruin-en the computer world forever. Because freeware makers will now need a license for there programs. The licenses coat about $700 a year. What are you thoughts on DRM?

DRM Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Rights_Management

A Cost Analysis of Windows Vista Content Protection
http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.html

Digital Rights Management (DRM) (Episode #73)
Peter Gutmann on Vista DRM (Episode #74)
http://www.grc.com/SecurityNow.htm

 

[Eidolon]

I call BS.
Seriously. If you live in the United States, like most of us, it goes against the Constitution. This is taking our free rights just so copyright-holder's piggy banks remain full. I seriously hope this doesn't become a reality.

 

[JRose]

Microsoft could have stop copyright-holders form this but they decided to go along with it. DRM is simple a spying program on computer that copyright-holders use to tell if someone is steeling there stuff. But what other information are they get by spying on us. Does SRB2 have a license for there program?

 

[Blitzzo]

I'm pretty sure that Windows Vista will allow any non-DRM EXE to run. Just because it's not DRM-enabled, doesn't mean that Windows won't let it run. All it does is serve as a way for companies to protect their work from piracy. It does not affect indie developers and games at all.

What should be of greater concern is the Limited User Account functionality, which will pop open a notice whenever you try to install a program, and will sometimes not allow games to save files onto the hard drive. I hear that it seems to break about 40% of indie games out there. Then again, XP has also had a few problems with game functionality under LUA as well.

 

[Tets]

Vista won't allow unsigned device drivers to run, but that's all. Nothing has ever been said about requiring all applications to be wrapped in any kind of DRM container. The sky is not falling, calm down.

 

[I'll Begin]

Vista won't allow unsigned device drivers to run

WHAT? Now THAT'S bull, people couldn't use most USB Drives then.

Another reason for me sticking to XP.

 

[Blitzzo]

I'm pretty sure that USB Drives will work. Windows XP recognizes them as hardware, why not Vista?

Still, I may stick to XP for now, until there's a good enough reason to make the switch.

 

[Maou-Shin Daioka]

I really don't see the big deal with Vista anyways.
XP works perfectly fine, just stick to it until you really have to upgrade your PC (like some people will be able to afford it.)

 

[1-Up]

I think I'll stick with XP now. I think Vista is just flashier.

 

[Eidolon]

Vista won't allow unsigned device drivers to run

WHAT? Now THAT'S bull, people couldn't use most USB Drives then.

Another reason for me sticking to XP.

That means we'll have to stick with the same crappy Xbox 360 Wired Controller drivers that Microsoft threw on us. Hell, the triggers are on the same axis!

 

[Tets]

Protip: USB flash drives run on standard drivers that come with every version of Windows since 2000 Pro. This is seriously not going to be a problem. Additionally, most drivers these days for other products are already digitally signed. Microsoft's reasoning behind this is, "Do you want security or not?" and I can't say I disagree. It would at the very least prevent things like the starforce driver fiasco from happening again.

The only problem I have is that I wouldn't be able to use the psxpad drivers in Vista. Not that I have a PC powerful enough to run Vista properly, much less any games in it.