Wow. It’s nice to have people who can write on our side.

Cory Doctrow gave a talk about DRM at Microsoft Research recently. Boing Boing had an excerpt:

Here’s what I’m here to convince you of:

  1. That DRM systems don’t work
  2. That DRM systems are bad for society
  3. That DRM systems are bad for business
  4. That DRM systems are bad for artists
  5. That DRM is a bad business-move for MSFT

It’s a big brief, this talk. Microsoft has sunk a lot of capital into DRM systems, and spent a lot of time sending folks like Martha and Brian and Peter around to various smoke-filled rooms to make sure that Microsoft DRM finds a hospitable home in the future world. Companies like Microsoft steer like old Buicks, and this issue has a lot of forward momentum that will be hard to soak up without driving the engine block back into the driver’s compartment. At best I think that Microsoft might convert some of that momentum on DRM into angular momentum, and in so doing, save all our asses.

Go read the whole thing; it makes it really clear why the whole RIAA/MPAA digital rights thing is dumb and hurts all of us, even the artists (like Doctrow) who need to live off of their creations.