I do not follow the forum much because I got annoyed by those guys/gals. With their near-slightness and stupidity they are ruining the world :(

Actually, this has just come up in conversation and the link has proven very useful. Cheers!

Where can I find those fanatics? I haven't seen anyone like that around. I even did a search with "kill all DRM-free", got no results.

That's my take on it.

DRM = Digital Rights Management.

Basically, it manages your rights for you (which in this context means enforcing the content providers' rights and making you don't exceed the limit of your rights).

Wouldn't be so bad if that's all it did (preventing you from giving the game to your buddy), but it has also consistently encroached on other freedoms due to technical limitations on enforceability.

And we are being frank with ourselves, many content providers aren't exactly unhappy about the side-results (ex: your DVD breaking and you having to purchase another one). Sometimes, I think the side result ends up being part of the goal for them.

Actually, this was legal with the majority of licenses in the past. You had to destroy all your copies of course, but you could gift your CDs.

Right you are. A caveat in my initial description is that it's legally ok to give it away or loan it if you can do so in such a way that you don't retain access while doing so.

I guess a more accurate description of the restriction would be: There must be one detainer at any given time.

I don't like it either. Namely because it obscures the issue. DRM is about rights.

When I purchase something, I should have certain legal rights that go along with it. I can make a copy for personal use (fair use), I can resell, gift, or destroy it (first sale) and I have the right to use my purchase (property rights).

DRM therefore is anything that attempts to restricts those rights.

Personally, I think this should apply even to digital goods AND to the software who's EULA states that their software or content is licensed and not sold (in that I think you're purchasing the license in that case.)