Comments on: DRM, Value (and all that jazz) http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/11/26/drm-value-and-all-that-jazz/ A blog on virtual worlds, games, and digital content, from Matt Mihaly Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:29:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: PlayNoEvil http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/11/26/drm-value-and-all-that-jazz/#comment-3103 Sun, 03 Dec 2006 19:16:25 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/11/26/drm-value-and-all-that-jazz/#comment-3103 There is value to legal enforcement as well - a vital part of this mix. The key to any of these is credibility. The biggest problem/challenge in online environments is how to deter bad behavior credibly. There is a critical mass issue for piracy (and crime and disease) where it causes the system to collapse. System designers need to balance the cost of operating and building a secure enough system with the costs of the problems. There is value to legal enforcement as well - a vital part of this mix. The key to any of these is credibility. The biggest problem/challenge in online environments is how to deter bad behavior credibly.

There is a critical mass issue for piracy (and crime and disease) where it causes the system to collapse. System designers need to balance the cost of operating and building a secure enough system with the costs of the problems.

]]> by: Matt http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/11/26/drm-value-and-all-that-jazz/#comment-2987 Tue, 28 Nov 2006 07:20:56 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/11/26/drm-value-and-all-that-jazz/#comment-2987 You're only sunk if you've been operating under the assumption that nobody is going to pirate your product. I mean, if you need the entire body of people interested in your product to purchase it in order to be profitable, and some pirate, then yeah, you're going down the tubes. It's quite possible to assume that some people will take your content and still turn a profit on it. Where that line is drawn is very context-dependent I think. --matt You’re only sunk if you’ve been operating under the assumption that nobody is going to pirate your product. I mean, if you need the entire body of people interested in your product to purchase it in order to be profitable, and some pirate, then yeah, you’re going down the tubes.

It’s quite possible to assume that some people will take your content and still turn a profit on it. Where that line is drawn is very context-dependent I think.

–matt

]]> by: Raph http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/11/26/drm-value-and-all-that-jazz/#comment-2984 Tue, 28 Nov 2006 05:30:46 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/11/26/drm-value-and-all-that-jazz/#comment-2984 You don't need to get to a point of universal piracy for there to be serious problems; you only need to get to a point where the marginal cost is too high Picture the scenario of easy to obtain high quality free product in your category, and no service differentiator. You're pretty much sunk unless you can do significant brandbuilding and somehow become a lovemark. You don’t need to get to a point of universal piracy for there to be serious problems; you only need to get to a point where the marginal cost is too high Picture the scenario of easy to obtain high quality free product in your category, and no service differentiator. You’re pretty much sunk unless you can do significant brandbuilding and somehow become a lovemark.

]]> by: Matt http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/11/26/drm-value-and-all-that-jazz/#comment-2959 Mon, 27 Nov 2006 00:14:20 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/11/26/drm-value-and-all-that-jazz/#comment-2959 I don't agree that it's all about social enforcement though. That's just one element, as is DRM. The fact that DRM CAN be compromised is not the same thing as saying that everyone will compromise it. There'd not be much market for PC games if the fact that DRM is vulnerable equated to universal piracy. I don’t agree that it’s all about social enforcement though. That’s just one element, as is DRM. The fact that DRM CAN be compromised is not the same thing as saying that everyone will compromise it. There’d not be much market for PC games if the fact that DRM is vulnerable equated to universal piracy.

]]> by: Raph http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/11/26/drm-value-and-all-that-jazz/#comment-2958 Mon, 27 Nov 2006 00:03:17 +0000 http://forge.ironrealms.com/2006/11/26/drm-value-and-all-that-jazz/#comment-2958 Well, when I said "all digital forms of enforcement" I really did only mean the technology -- that's what "digital enforcement" meant. :) That's also why I hammered elsewhere in the article that it's about social enforcement. If, however, copying becomes so easy that social enforcement can't slow or stop it, there's generally a consensus that arises not to bother (as happened with tape trading, for example). Well, when I said “all digital forms of enforcement” I really did only mean the technology — that’s what “digital enforcement” meant. :)

That’s also why I hammered elsewhere in the article that it’s about social enforcement. If, however, copying becomes so easy that social enforcement can’t slow or stop it, there’s generally a consensus that arises not to bother (as happened with tape trading, for example).

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