Bearding The DRM In Its Lair

If you haven't yet read Cory Doctorow's notes from his talk this week at Microsoft on "why Microsoft should get out of the DRM business and what they could do instead," there's no time like the present. (Or soon, anyway. That's the beauty of the Web, isn't it? If time waits for no one, the Web, hosting permitted, waits for all.) I love how Cory can and does provide the historical context for the current technological moment ("In DRM, the attacker is *also the recipient*"). I love how he can and does travel to places like MSFT and Digital ID World (here's the the MP3 of our DRM panel) to share his knowledge and perspective on this subject. I love how he can and does play shuffleboard with Peter Biddle. I love his description of the potential hazards for unsophisticated users, sophisticated users, artists, and DRM makers themselves. While some might say it's tilting at windmills, I'm convinced the conversation is worthwhile and potentially transformative.

Of course, what's not to love about his fiction, blog, and eye for signage as well?