[Leaplist] Cory Doctorow, to Microsoft, on "Why DRM is bad"

[Steve Litt]

On Thursday 01 November 2007 11:52, patrick wrote:
> Favorite quotes:
>
> If you don't build the player that accepts everyones records, "Someone
> will do it"!
>
> "Steve Jobs isn't going to do it: he's off at the D conference telling
> studio execs not to release hi-def movies until they're sure no one will
> make a hi-def DVD burner that works with a PC."
>
> "Whenever a new technology has disrupted copyright, we've changed
> copyright.
>
> Copyright isn't an ethical proposition, it's a utilitarian one. There's
> nothing *moral* about paying a composer tuppence for the piano-roll
> rights, there's nothing *immoral* about not paying Hollywood for the
> right to videotape a movie off your TV. They're just the best way of
> balancing out so that people's physical property rights in their VCRs
> and phonographs are respected and so that creators get enough of a
> dangling carrot to go on making shows and music and books and paintings.

That last quote alarms me. From time immemorial, there have been scavengers 
trying to get others to work for nothing. When I fixed stereo gear there was 
always some droob wanting me to diagnose it for free, obviously so he can buy 
the parts for a couple bucks. He knew diagnosis was 90% of the job, and 
that's how I made my money, and this parasite wanted me to work for free.

When I worked for corporations, they always paid me for 8 and worked me 12. 
These parasites wanted me to work for free.

Now comes the "share everything crowd". They want to be able to get free 
copies of the books that took me months to create. They're parasites who want 
me to work for free.

Each individual chooses his profession. In order to put a roof over his head, 
each individual expects to be paid for his work. The individual might give 
out some free work for practical reasons, but it's the INDIVIDUAL'S choice, 
not some parasite who wants something for nothing.

When I want to make something free, I create UMENU, htmlslides or VimOutliner. 
When I want to create an advertisement that also serves as handy info and 
free as in beer, I make Troubleshooters.Com. And when I intend to get paid, I 
write a book. If someone wants the book, the moral thing to do is pay me for 
it. Doctorow's claim that there's no moral reason not to perform unauthorized 
copies is just plain wrong.

I agree with the rest of his article. DRM is not the way to make sure I get 
paid. Our existing copyright laws are sufficient, and in fact go too far. I 
think that copyright should last only 15 to 20 years, after which the work 
reverts to public domain. If I can't make an enhanced version within 15 
years, I have no business making money from it.

In summary, DRM is a really bad idea and should be done away with, but don't 
say it's not immoral to force others to work for free.

SteveT

Steve Litt
Author: Universal Troubleshooting Process books and courseware
http://www.troubleshooters.com/