54 DRM in Windows Vista
Tuesday 13th February, 2007
This is Bruce Schneier's view of DRM in Windows Vista. As usual, he has lots of very interesting points to make.
Windows Vista includes an array of "features" that you don't want. These features will make your computer less reliable and less secure. They'll make your computer less stable and run slower. They will cause technical support problems. They may even require you to upgrade some of your peripheral hardware and existing software. And these features won't do anything useful. In fact, they're working against you. They're digital rights management (DRM) features built into Vista at the behest of the entertainment industry.
And you don't get to refuse them.
Phew. Well, that's just for starters. I'll try not to spoil the whole thing for you, but here's a tasty tidbit:
... after Vista is firmly entrenched in the marketplace, Sony's Howard Stringer won't be able to dictate pricing or terms to Bill Gates. This is a war for 21st-century movie distribution and, when the dust settles, Hollywood won't know what hit them.
Just how stupid is the MPAA? Read the news, check out how they're alienating their customers.