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FTC warns vendors who use DRM to disclose limits
Many people have been anticipating this week, which marked the start of long-awaited conference on DRM with the FTC. Advocates for such copy protection schemes as well as opponents have come to petition the commission, to try and sway them one way or the other about what is an acceptable way to provide service. While the FTC specifically mentioned that it would not be taking sides, there was a very curious opening statement by Acting Deputy Director Mary Engle, who referenced certain DRM problems in the past.
In short, she warned that vendors must provide users information about any DRM they use in advance, disclosing the limits it places on products. Without mentioning any specific actions they would take, she only mentioned that the FTC would “come calling” if vendors fail to comply. The conference just begun, but has already seen this and many other very interesting statements being made from both sides of the fence. Whatever happens, this will be a important development fot DRM technology.
In short, she warned that vendors must provide users information about any DRM they use in advance, disclosing the limits it places on products. Without mentioning any specific actions they would take, she only mentioned that the FTC would “come calling” if vendors fail to comply. The conference just begun, but has already seen this and many other very interesting statements being made from both sides of the fence. Whatever happens, this will be a important development fot DRM technology.
User Comments (7)
Post a comment| tengeta on March 26, 2009 1:01 AM | If your car comes with a computer that controls the maximum
speed of the vehicle to prevent you from using your car the
way you want and it has to inform you of that, then why
can't game developers and music/movie producers be held to
the same standard? It would likely end a lot of issues with DRM, mostly because if the restrictions listed are too annoying no one will buy it. Bye EA!
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| burty117 on March 26, 2009 4:01 AM | I hate DRM, I buy my games, I don't want them to come with a
limited number of times I can install it as I build
computers all the time. If I build a computer and keep it,
its then classed as a new computer and I cannot install
things like crysis warhead more than 5 times and i'm on my
forth already.
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| Rick on March 26, 2009 8:19 AM | Part of the problem is just the way licenses work. It should
be one per household, not one per computer... IMO. There's
no reason for me to buy 2 license for Office - one for my
laptop and one for my desktop. I mean, I already own the damned software...
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| viperpfl on March 26, 2009 12:10 PM | This is why DRM in it's current form is such a evil thing to
use. DRM went from unlawful copying of a companies product
to limiting what a paying customer can do with that product
or how the product is used. It is even going so far that you
can't even give a bad review of a product without violating
a copyright. I can go as far as to say that DRM is anti
competitive. The DRM abuses are astounding but nothing is
done because we all live with it.
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| JDoors on March 26, 2009 12:53 PM | "Acting Deputy Director Mary Engle ... warned that vendors
must provide users information about any DRM they use in
advance, disclosing the limits it places on
products." ENTIRELY reasonable. Is there even an argument against this? Let's just hope they don't bury the information in legalese similar to EULAs.
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| dickdowning on March 27, 2009 12:30 AM | Don't look for the FTC to take any significant action. The
recording industry contributed to much money to the current
administrations political campaigns for the current crew at
the FTC to be allowed to upset them.
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| Appzalien on March 27, 2009 6:30 AM | I would love it if games at the local Best Buy had SECUROM
in big yellow letters across the front of the box. But lets
face it, if this does goes anywhere, the word securom would
be in letters so tiny that you would need an electron
microscope to see them. These days fine print is more like
microscopic print. I know my eyes are not what they used to
be, but is so obvious that what they want me to see is
clearly visible, and what they don't want me to see I can't
see even with my reading glasses, I literally need to carry
a magnifying glass. Besides, no company that uses drm
solutions like securom wants to advertise it, they already
have a user base nightmare on their hands. I haven't bought
a Securom game since BioShock, and that one I only found out
after I opened the game.
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