Protection Against Piracy: Worst Case?

For those who have campaigned, complained or sworn against the use of digitalized security software on their music, preventing them from either playing it on certain types of systems or copying it for personal use – because no one copies music to sell it on to others online – perhaps your fears are indeed becoming reality. Almost anything can now be protected against copying, against those who wish to use a pirate version or a cheaper version purchased from a different source. I’ve seen it recently on the ink containers I use for my printer – without the key, no printing, it simply refuses to accept the cartridge – but matters have now become considerably worse as some companies use this technology to actively protect their market position.

Photo Credit: JonathanCohen – Creative Commons

Surprisingly enough, it is not necessarily in a niche market that you would expect it to be, the protection is being applied by a company which has, theoretically at least, little to do with technology and more to do with refreshment. Before you give up trying to break another DRM code on your recently purchased music CD or film DVD and make yourself a cup of coffee, read this.

It is no longer a case of trying to protect rights, but more holding on to a share of the market by forcing customers to use one particular brand of coffee pod with their brand new coffee machine. Can this be right?

Well, yes, in a way it can. Not as far as the consumer is concerned, but certainly it makes sense for the company protecting itself from cheaper – or better, or even a wider range of – products. They want to sell their own products, which is fair enough, but at a higher price and without the fear of any form of competition. Competition is, of course, the consumer’s friend, it brings high quality – mostly – but lower prices. Not in this case. If you are strictly limited to only using the products from one single company, thanks to a limiting code on the coffee pods, there can be no competition, the price remains stable, but high.

Personally I will be sticking to my normal coffee percolator: a filter, a heap of ground coffee and hot water. At least I know that I can choose my personal favorite brand and blend without being limited by some marketing guru protecting his or her share of the market at my cost.

• Viktoria Michaelis.

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