Digital Rights Management - DRM abuse
a tip from Lorenzo :-)
What is DRM
We say a software is protected by DRM when it contains functionality purposed to stop its unauthorized execution by asking for a special "key", often covertly verified (along with other information which may identify the owner of the system) with a remote server.
DRM (Digital Rights Management) is no more about piracy, but about keeping the company's control over end users.
Until the advent of Web 2.0 it served to stop piracy, nowadays it is equivalent to a trojan horse.
My tip
When software which could work offline requires you to go online, this is not only a sign a bad design but also of DRM abuse.
Such ill-designed software often covertly downloads and executes code and shares information with 3rd parties without your consent. Many developers are guilty and it happens with all sorts of games and applications, including those developed by "trusted" companies: be always vigilant for any disclaimer/license during shopping and installation, not hesitating to ask for a refund if the software contains unwelcome DRM!
If possible, try your best to avoid buying software which requires your computer to be connected during usage, because allowing that is equivalent to admitting the purchased good (the software) isn't really yours and giving up control on what code you execute on your hardware.
Tags: #DRM #drmabuse #software #userrights #softwaredesign #economy #piracy