They Don't Want My Dollar

I regularly find myself astounded that the entertainment industry appears to be not just indifferent to my purchasing dollar but seems to be actively fighting to avoid availing themselves of my disposable income. Allow me to explain.

I am a modern man, of modest but not insignificant means. I enjoy my technology toys but prefer not to spend a fortune to feed my digital habit. Partly as a result of this (and partly due to certain personal opinions of the ethics of some large technology companies) I use GNU/Linux exclusively on my home computer. And I like it to Just Work(tm). As a result of this, when I was looking for a portable digital audio player I avoided the currently popular device of Cupertino origins and went for something that better suited my needs. The device I selected was less expensive, appears as a common (or “garden”) variety Mass Storage Device and requires no magical incantations or special software to function. It plays a wide range of audio media formats, including my personal preference, Ogg Vorbis. It does not support DRM.

As this device supports only unencumbered audio formats I find myself unable to purchase music from most leading online retailers. The endless repetition of the childish trademark “PlaysForSure” sticks in my craw for its deceit and self-aggrandisement. “F**kOffWeDon’tWantYourMoney” would be more honest. To be fair, there are alternatives. The superb MagnaTune (for example) provides a large and varied catalogue with not just unencumbered and lossless downloads, but high quality free previews so you can purchase with complete confidence.

But this isn’t all. There are a few television series I like to follow; Top Gear and Monster Garage to name but two. Occasionally I miss an episode. Wouldn’t it be nice if I could go to the broadcaster’s website, pay a small fee – maybe a couple of dollars – and download the episode legally and in broadcast quality? Heck, they’d make more money out of me that way than by relying on my susceptibility to advertisements. Of course, this is a pipe dream.

I buy DVDs – usually when they’ve reached the $10 dollar bin unless it is something particularly special. If all DVDs were in the $10-$15 bin I’d buy everything that took my fancy. As it is I find maybe two or three a year worthy of dusting the cobwebs from my wallet.

I buy CDs – again from the bargain bins. I’d buy more if they were all this price. I do not buy Copy Protected Audio Discs. I only buy ones that conform to the defined standard for Compact Discs. Copy Protected discs are damaged discs – literally. The common copy protection schemes operate by pressing faults in the audio tracks themselves. This renders them useless in my car stereo and on my media centre PC. It increases their susceptibility to scratches and effectively (and dramatically) reduces their life span. As far as I’m concerned they are unfit for purpose and should be illegal to sell.

If the entertainment industry were to relax their paranoia I can guarantee I’d give them more money. It’s time for them to wake up and smell the future.

* First published on the Aardvark Forums.