David Byrne is getting angry

David Byrne Journal: 1.10.06: DRM

It looks like David Byrne has had it up to here. As you may know by now, I agree.

Media companies will never stop the pirates no matter what they do. The best way to minimize the impact of pirates is to be good to your customers. Instead, the media companies are treating all of their customers like pirates. They want DRM(digital rights management) software and broadcast flags and huge fines and whatever else it takes to make them feel safe. It's like they've huddled in their fort with Dave Matthews, Pink, the members of Velvet Revolver, Neil Diamond and hundreds of other recording artists. They are pushing the tables, chairs and refrigerators up against the door and hammering boards over the windows. The want us to believe that the rebel forces are trying to kidnap Dave and Neil and destroy their very souls.

Why do the rebels continue to attack? Because they know that Neil and Dave are actually being held against their will inside that fort. They must be rescued before their music dies forever.

OK, enough of that. But, if you make it easier to transfer an illegal copy of a song to an ipod than it is to transfer it from a CD that costs $18, the illegal copy will eventually prevail. If these companies want to continue to see their profits fall, then they should continue to load up CDs with secretive DRM software and push through laws that disable functions of our televisions, mp3 players and video players. People will soon realize that it's just not worth that much trouble to listen to Ricky Martin or watch Cheaper by the Dozen. Who knows...once we reach that breaking point people might actually take out their earbuds and talk to each other, play Monopoly with their family, or even join a babershop quartet. It seems the future looks bright after all.

In my life I have found that if you put your trust in people, most of them will act in a trustworthy manner. Until you feel that trust (and love) again, don't buy DRM protected CDs. David Byrne gives you a partial list. Neil Diamond is on there, and sadly Imogen Heap is as well. That's really too bad.

Sometimes, they just try to fool you, like those signs in front of houses that say "Protected by Command Security", when in fact there is no alarm. The band Chumba Wumba mentions that on this page of their website.

And here's the David Byrne link again.

David Byrne Journal: 1.10.06: DRM

Oh...and if you want to be a pirate, be sure to follow the link below. (Don't worry, it's completely legal)

Avast! Welcome to PirateMod!