How to Explain the Problem with DRM

I am a huge hater on DRM, but sometimes it is a difficult concept to explain, even to those with technological backgrounds.  Typically I fall back on using hypothetical analogies like “What if you could only read sony books with sony glasses?  Or watch pixar movies on pixar TVs?”  Eliot over on the wired blog has thankfully come up with a few stories to explain DRM to your dad.

Here he explains DVD DRM…

I want to watch an Egyptian movie for my Middle Eastern studies class. But it is region coded not to play on my DVD player, in an effort to stop piracy. Now I have to hack my DVD player and break the law to get it to play. The movie isn’t released in the U.S. This is the only version that was ever published. Since it isn’t published in the US, and it’s for academic purposes, I can rip it make copies for my classmates. That’s fair use.  But since I have to break the DRM to copy it — I’ve broken the law anyway.

Check out all the stories on the wired blog.