Douglas Crockford's Blog

DRM is sometimes called an enabling technology, in that it is supposed to enable new business models. But it is really a disabling technology. As DRM fails, there have been suggestions that the name be changed to something that includes the word enabling; give it a better image; something more right than rights.

DRM isn't just a disabling technology, it is also a disabling contractual framework. To sell a DVD device, you must make a deal with the DVD Copy Control Association in order to use the CSS copy protection system that was broken nine years ago.

Kaleidescape is a startup that makes a media server. It is like an MP3 player for movies. You transfer your DVDs onto it. You can even transfer rentals. Kaleidescape encrypts the content, so the system cannot be used to making multiple copies.  (Continued . . .)