The only hope for DRM would have been if people never expected better. "This is just how it is."
Of course, through both unauthorized channels (for copy-restricted content) and normal usage (of personal and free content), people now know better. That means under any name, DRM will appear broken and backward.
There will still be novel and annoying attempts at DRM, but essentially, this battle has been won.
> There will still be novel and annoying attempts at DRM, but essentially, this battle has been won.
The battle may have been won for music, but movies already come DRM-enabled, and ebook publishers are pushing DRM like crazy.
This is far from over, since the replication and distribution of digital media costs zero, and this effectively invalidates old business models.
Hard-copy books are still selling (I for one think it's easier on the eyes than glaring in a laptop's screen), but throw in a comfortable ebook reader and ebooks that can be shared with friends, and you've got yourself a business-model killer.
I think this is inevitable, but more time has to pass before newer business models will emerge, and until then they'll keep circumventing the natural evolution of technology.
I don't know how to feel about this ... for one my rights are violated (you end up not owning your copy) and sharing with friends / making a backup are prohibited actions that turn you into a thief. On the other hand I feel bad about content creators (having negative feelings about publishers though because of their policies).
Of course, through both unauthorized channels (for copy-restricted content) and normal usage (of personal and free content), people now know better. That means under any name, DRM will appear broken and backward.
There will still be novel and annoying attempts at DRM, but essentially, this battle has been won.