DRM schemes never worked, and it has been speculated that the people building them always knew it, but had other goals.
Backn in the days it was: Of course you can break DVD copyprotection schemes. But you cannot build a legal opensource DVD player software. Today it's: Of course every Netflix series can be found on the pirate bay. But you're not legally allowed to build an alternative netflix player frontend.
Just as an aside and probably a dumb question - is Pirate Bay still a thing? I know they have archival stuff you can access, but I thought Pirate Bay died out a long time ago and even pier to pier networks have all but disappeared with streaming.
I feel like this is kind of a naïve question, but I haven't needed to use pier to pier stuff since streaming did become the standard and remember a lot of articles on Pirate Bay shutting down around 2014. Some of the 1070's movies I've found on YouTube that aren't on any streaming platform like the 1982 movie Dreams Don't Die about a graffiti artist played by Ike Eisenmann.
From the executive’s perspectives, DRM is working just fine.
People can’t just go get a random browser extension to save videos.
Alternative and unlicensed clients are illegal.
Sure, there’s some piracy - but even at the end of the day, pirates would watch a smartphone recording to save a buck.
To them, DRM does not have to be perfect to be a good investment; any more than copyright needing to be perfect or Speed Limit sign enforcement needing to be perfect.
Plus, every layer of complexity that gets broken, is another line for convincing the DOJ or the Jury about malicious intent.
Yes, yes, the Gabe Newell quote - even though that quote was only an explanation for why piracy happened. Commonly lost in translation, that quote never once said piracy was justified or acceptable, nor did he encourage piracy under any circumstances.
Backn in the days it was: Of course you can break DVD copyprotection schemes. But you cannot build a legal opensource DVD player software. Today it's: Of course every Netflix series can be found on the pirate bay. But you're not legally allowed to build an alternative netflix player frontend.