When DRM Key Servers Vanish, Where Do Users Turn?

"I have to suspect the average user doesn't really understand DRM," said another poster, "even if they've heard of it and know it relates to ‘copy protection’ or ‘that piracy stuff.’. . . Many of them will feel that it's unreasonable to have to buy all of the same music again to get it to work when they get a new computer after this summer. Which I think is going to lead a fair number of users to either return to the netherworld of illegal P2P downloading, or learn about it and begin using it if they hadn't before. Quite seriously, I can't think of a simpler, clearer example of the content industries' control-freak policies driving legitimate, paying customers into copyright violation."

It’s Not Just MSN
If MSN were the only one with this issue, it probably wouldn't warrant an article on streamingmedia.com; but a quick check back through the last year reveals that Google Video, MLB.com, and several others have also switched DRM system, meaning that users were no longer able to watch videos or listen to music they purchased. While Google finally offered a refund for customers that made purchases on their Google Video Store, it took MLB.com quite a while to come around, and only after telling customers they weren't eligible for refunds since they had made "one time purchases" - ignoring the fact that viewing of these purchases were at the mercy of the DRM system and vendor they had purchased the content from.

"To date we have seen one other high-profile DRM turn down which sadly enough was a disaster," says BuyDRM's Levy. "However, the numbers show that operators of encrypted media sites are conducting themselves in a professional manner that is respectful of consumers' rights at large. Will this happen again? Assuredly. Is DRM the culprit? No. Website operators must conduct themselves in a responsible and professional manner regardless of the technologies they are deploying. When deploying DRM operators must work to satisfy the needs of their consumers and when possible make the acquisition, management, and recovery of licensed media and license keys as simple as possible and not an inconvenience."

Now that MLB.com's site notes that "MLB.com is committed to ensuring that all non-functioning MLB.com Digital Downloads that were previously purchased are again made available at no additional cost to our customers," let's hope that MSN Music - and all of those companies fixated on DRM - will provide similar consumer purchase protection.