DRM effectiveness and selling music
Today I bought a DVD/CD set of a concert. Well, actually I bought a DVD with a “bonus audio disc”, because Philips would have been crotchety about calling this non-standard thing an audio CD. (Of course, Amazon and Best Buy describe this item as “DVD/CD Set” and “[CD & DVD]” respectively…so I would have a reasonable deceptive description case had I bought it online from either.)
I got it home and, before opening it, noticed the verbiage on the packaging. It had system requirements (Windows yadda yadda yadda, plus “Mac: OK”) and a URL for the copy-protection folks who came up with this scheme.
Before opening this and making it I dutifully went to their website, which explained that the “discs aren’t currently compatible with iTunes or iPod” but that there was “a way for consumers to move content into these environments, despite the challenges noted above.” That link led to their “contact a tech” form.
I did so, and got this response (with the obvious changes in my name, the tech’s name, and the name of the disc purchased).
“If you have a Mac computer you can copy the songs using your iTunes Player as you would normally do.”
That, apparently, is what “Mac: OK” meant in the little system requirements box.
With that reassurance from the DRM vendor, I opened the package and successfully imported the songs. Had that not been the case, I would have returned the unopened package to the store, explaining that I thought I was buying a DVD & CD, not a DVD & useless circular mirror made of plastic.
In this case, therefore, the sale was made only because the DRM was completely ineffective on my chosen platform.
