Usually when Cory Doctorow writes about how much he hates DRM, I say, “Keep preaching, Cory.” I mean, I can’t stand DRM (digital rights management) or even the thought of someone taking away my media rights just because I’m using a digital instead of analog medium, but I’ve never seen it as potentially crushing. More irritating than anything else.

Until last week, when on two different accounts, I was kept from using music purchased through the iTunes Music Store when and where I wanted to.

The first incident: After becoming addicted to the song, I bought Styx’s “More Love for the Money” in the iTunes store about three weeks ago. Being a neurotic listener, I wanted to hear that song everywhere I went. The most regular places I listen to music are my iPod, my laptop, my home desktop computer, and my work desktop computer. I also have an ftp server set up on my home system dialed right into my iTunes directory so I can take my MP3 (and AAC) files with me wherever I use a computer. Since purchasing the song, I have probably used somewhere around forty different computers in the past year, and around eight to twelve on a consistent basis. Being the default IT manager, computer troubleshooter, graphic designer and software tutor for the church means that I use one here, one there, throughout the week.

But here’s the rub. Somewhere within the past month, I licensed my fifth computer on the iTunes music store. I don’t know what computer it was. And that’s the whole problem. We have had about six systems go dead within the past year at the church. At least one of them - and perhaps more - was licensed to use songs from my iTunes account.

I had recently had some complications in iTunes on my laptop (podcasting related) and I had completely uninstalled the app for some time. When I went to install it and use my tracks already sitting on the computer, already licensed to me, I couldn’t play them. I was given iTunes’ “no more licenses” notice. I was then left guessing which computer could I take away a license from. “No problem,” I thought, “I’ve done this before. I’ll just take one of my other licenses off of one of the systems at the church.” And then it dawned on me. The only computers I knew of that were still licensed were my home computer and my work desktop. The other systems were either ones I had forgotten about or were dead!

The second inicident: It was Christmas Eve and we were in the middle of a service. We were going to play a classical version of Ave Maria that we had purchased the previous year from the iTunes store. We had recently upgraded the sound booth CPU. Unfortunately for us, we had not tested out iTunes with purchased tracks yet. When we went to play them, we came across a similar issue.

We couldn’t play the tracks because we weren’t licensed. And I couldn’t remove another license because either I couldn’t remember where else I had licensed them or else the computers that were licensed were dismantled.

Look. Five computers sounds generous. It sounds like a lot of computers. But for anyone who just runs here and there on computers all day long, it’s nothing. I myself have five computers - either for work or home - let alone the fifteen at the church that I use on and off.

Yes, I should have noted the systems I licensed, but Why on earth should I have to run an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of which computers I have played my music on?

In conclusion: I’m done with the iTunes Music Store. End of story. I am buying CDs and sharing files. DRM, to me, is a joke. We are told, “You’re a thief” on one hand, but on the other hand, the only option we’re given when it comes to convenient digital music is a license.

Here’s an idea. Let’s monopolize content. Then we’ll criminalize digitally what is commonplace analogically. And finally, we can hand the consumer a digital “license” instead of giving them what they thought they paid for when they clicked the deceptive “Buy Song” button. Oh wait, that’s already been done. Thanks, once again, to the miracle of fine print!

There is a word in economics for powerful organizations who monopolize a desirable resource and use their force to manipulate:

Rent-seeking.

I’m not paying rent anymore for what I already own.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 30th, 2004 at 11:24 am and is filed under Copyright. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.