I often want to write and article about something and then find that someone else has done it much better than I ever could. This is the best article I’ve seen on Digital Rights Management (DRM). What’s DRM? It’s a feature added to a product that prevents you from using it freely. For example, you can play a tape or CD in just about any player ever made. Record the songs from tape to CD, into the computer, listen to on your MP3 player, take one song off and make a mixed CD, etc. In the DRM’ed CD, you will only be able to do what the record company expects. Which would likely be play it in an “approved” CD player. No making tapes, copying into the computer, giving to a friend, or anything else that the copyright owner disagrees with. It’s their rights that are being managed not yours. Why is this bad? Why is it not feasible? Read this funny and insightful lecture given at a Microsoft event.