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Posts: 434 | Thanked: 325 times | Joined on Sep 2009
#24
Originally Posted by attila77 View Post
When the application itself is the value, the lack of DRM *is* discouraging for commercial developers, because it makes it easy to part the developer from the value. That's why THIS PARTICULAR business model prefers DRM. The number of people who realize just what DRM is is so little the 'upside' of gaining 'educated' customers is just not worth it from a financial standpoint. Today, if you want to forego DRM, you have to opt for a different business model - fighting DRM head on with this business model will lead nowhere.
I must disagree with this. When people are trusted, they tend to be more honest. But when they treated as potential thieves, they tend be more dishonest.

Let's take the vegetable/fruit department in a grocery store as an example. In some cultures the customer is trusted and he can himself weigh the product and put the price sticker on it. On other cultures the customer is distrusted so he is not allowed to do this in an uncontrolled manner. The interesting thing is that in those places where to customer is mistrusted, they seem to behave in a more dishonest way when an opportunity arises for it, compared to the places where the customer is trusted. Sure, there will always be those who will stick an extra apple after weighing them, but the cost benefit of not having any extra checks in place outweigh the losses caused by these few who behave dishonestly.

Now I believe the same applies with DRM. Will people stop paying for products as soon as they found out that they are not protected and can be, technically, freely copied? Some, no doubt, will. But how big of a percentage of potential customers will it be? Ditching DRM does not necessary reduce sells. Look at the music industry.

Anyway, these are only my personal opinions. No need to take them too seriously.