WMDRM

Willful Malicious Data Removal Monster or
"Sure, go ahead & rip out anything you want in my PC !".



I came across this little disclaimer the other day. Gee... I guess its a good thing they still write the subroutine to display it at all! Its my opinion that Microsoft can do everything they can to protect a copyright holders interests. But, once the data is in my PC, that's My Interest. They should not have a right to see it, access it, manipulate it, or remove it. And, they should not threaten or otherwise hold hostage my ability & right to update their operating system.

Now don't get me wrong. I don't have anything in my system that doesn't belong to me. But this little goodie is a bit too draconian.

Let's pull it apart a bit, please follow along:

1. Line 1. Artists & programmers are in a contractual agreement with Microsoft in this DRM deal. So, the artists are at the mercy of Microsoft. Sound familiar ??
2. Line 2. The data must pass through Secure Content both in PLAY as well as TRANSFER. Isn't your single CPU PC slow enough now after SP2 ??
3. Line 3. Well, if you disable, or more likely your application changes, has a malformed update, or the WM-DRM becomes corrupted by even one bit, you lose everything !! But, your used to that from all the 'zero-day exploits' over the past two years. Right ??
4. Line 4. Applications including WMP will appear to be functional & working.
5. Lines 5, 6, & 7. DRM will update at anytime, not just when you retrieve a license. Content management may revoke ability to use, even if you paid for it. You may be required to accept a DRM upgrade even before Microsoft realizes the software was sufficiently tested for completeness, and then Microsoft writes a supplemental patch two weeks later. And, Microsoft can also amend usability in regard to complications to Line 1, making you a victim of a disagreement that you have nothing to do with.
6. Line 8. The media requesting an update will cause Microsoft to ask permission ?? Humm... Unless you've turned on 'Automatic Updates', in which case Microsoft is only going through the motions of asking for your permission for something that's now already installed.
7. Line 9. Content Management can do this maneuver too, without first performing adequate testing, and appear to ask first.
8. Line 10. If you don't agree, your out of luck !!

Users need to begin to protect their rights against this kind of abuse. If enough people either dropped the OS (an impossibility) or, began to petition against it in numbers, it MIGHT changes things.

Software producers have the right & responsibility to protect intellectual property, both their own & others.
Copyright holders have both the rights of their copyright & to work with software companies.

But neither have the right, nor responsibility to manipulate my data in any way, shape, or form. Nor should my property (PC) be subjected to such inspection & possible damage.

Who do I as a user turn to when a piece of music, photo, video, or software data is mistaken for a U2 or Judas Priest guitar riff. Then the system experiences a fatal catastrophic event from the interrogation & extraction process, then the hard drive starts repeated seeks across the platter, slamming into the hub washer, and POOF. Is Bono going to buy me a new PC when I can prove it was a U2 DRM update that looked like a frame of my waterfall video, or is Rob going to by me a new OS when we realize that the DRM image for 'Troubleshooter' resembles a diagnostic program I had (past tense). When these artists put up a screensaver or wallpaper, will all the far flung code programmers that their talent management employs be able to tell that I went to the site & downloaded it legally?? Can anybody guarantee that DRM won't have this kind of response ?? NO

And DON'T expect ANYTHING from Microsoft...
Your just the guinea pig, so get back on the wheel !!

My PC cringed & drew back in fear at the warning, "Your not going to put that in me, are you ??"
"But, we own everything in you. All the music is from a retail CD. All the pictures came from your cousin the digital camera, & I took them. All the video came from your other cousin the video camera. And all the software I feed you comes from a reliable source & I pay for it!!", I said.
The PC just stood there, humming nervously.

So what happened when I forced myself to commit due to work considerations.
Not anything really.
You see, I have a clean system.
Well, so far for now... And now, the entertainment portion of the program.

Courtesy Google Video Research Channel