Five Stores That Hosed Customers With DRM

matt buchanan — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:15:20 EDT

Sure, it's easy to blithely state that DRM is annoying and sucks. But the fact is, it really can leave you holding vaporous media that you paid real money for, like when a vendor closes up shop or switches to new DRM. Last 100 rounds up five stores that have done just that: Major League Baseball (switched DRM, nuking any video bought pre-2006); Google (killed video store, and any vids you bought); Sony (ditched ATRAC and shut down Sony Connect); Virgin Digital (closed store, told customers to burn tracks to CDs and re-import as MP3); and most recently, Microsoft, which is shuttering MSN Music and its PlaysForSure (now officially worst DRM name ever) authentication servers in August.

While Apple won't be turning off FairPlay's authentication servers anytime soon, I do have this semi-dystopian fantasy of them all simultaneously, spontaneously combusting and watching billions in legally purchased music go up in smoke as it all becomes basically unmovable, save circumventing the tracks' DRM, if only so the average consumer finally learns what those three little letters really mean. Good times. [Last 100 via Dave Zatz]

MLB Calls Foul on Slingbox Placeshifting, Pitches the "L" Word

Matt Buchanan — Wed, 30 May 2007 19:00:22 EDT

For being "America's favorite pastime," the MLB is apparently populated by a bunch of whiners. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Esq., the league's legal vultures have begun circling around Slingbox because of its ability to placeshift games.

Yeah, that's right. When you're on the road and just want to catch your home team's game via Sling, in the MLB's eyes you (and Sling Media) are acting illegally because of broadcast contracts written around geographical boundaries.

Since Sling refused to pay ~~extortion~~ licensing fees to the MLB, the league's currently contemplating that favorite of legal actions: a lawsuit. If Sling's still around, anyway, since according to the MLB Advanced Media's general counsel, "there's no guarantee that Slingbox will be around next year. It's a startup." Them's fightin' words. Which is surprising, coming from a pack of whining, weeping, crying crybabies. – Matt Buchanan

Sports Leagues' Slingbox Opposition Highlights New Game of Content Control [via Crave]
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Gizmodo: major league baseball

Five Stores That Hosed Customers With DRM

MLB Calls Foul on Slingbox Placeshifting, Pitches the "L" Word