The content crap -- or why I pirate MP3-s

DRM is relabelled CRAP. Watch the ZDNet video, it’s short, sweet and to the point.

DRM is one of the reasons I don’t really have many gadgets like iPod and don’t buy stuff from iTMS. And I am double careful when buying albums to steer clear of any proprietary content protection (“rootkit”) schemes.

Another reason why I don’t buy content and pirate it instead? I can’t. Simple. Content providers have this fancy idea of splitting the world up into countries, and only selling their stuff in the “white” countries. If you’re from one of the countries which they label a bushcountry, then even if you want to buy stuff, you just can’t because it’s not “available” in your area. Now what that means or why that is is beyond me, since I have a better internet connection and a “whiter” credit card than most people in the “white” countries. So I’d like to give you quite a few bucks. But since you guys just won’t let me buy stuff, I’ll go and pirate it.

What we need is “content providers with reality checks”. I want to buy content which I know I can play on all devices I have. I don’t pirate it, so even without DRM, I’m not really gonna share it that much with my friends. Or if I do, and they find it’s any good, they will buy it even though they have an unlicensed copy. That’s what I often do with games and music — if it’s any good and I have a warez copy, I buy it later. Sort of advanced “demo/trial” scheme. And if it’s not any good, well then, I’m just glad I found out about it before buying, as I would have been disappointed otherwise after buying.

But as it stands now, it is more convenient for me to download warez mp3-s than go and buy them from a “white” online music store. Convenience of the experience matters a great deal.