Rodent Regatta

TRYING TO GET THIS STRAIGHT
Digital Rights Management = copy protection, right?

Software companies tried (some years ago) to copy protect software. Most, if not all schemes for this were dismal failures. Now, whether music, movies, documents or any other digital data, one segment of the population wants to insure that they get paid and that there isn’t widespread bootlegging of their creative efforts. The other group says, I want to be able to use what I buy any way I want to; I have no plans to profit from my use of the product, and I don’t want to buy it six times just because I change computers or TIVO’s or whatever else.
The first group is trying to protect itself with lots of (unworkable) technical possibilities mandated by and overseen by government lap, er, watchdogs. The second group says, ”trust us.” They want to put all of this on some global honor system free of technical and political barriers to using the CD, DVD, download or whatever else as they see fit. Have I got this about right?
One group says, ”let me scan my own groceries and I’ll be honest.” The other says, ”the criminals among you won’t scan ALL the groceries, so we’d better scan for you.” Is that the current state of this debate?

DAN GILLMOR SAYS that ”digital rights management” should be called ”digital restrictions management.” Well put. It’s your rights that are being restricted. [InstaPundit]