Necessary Evil

During my conversations with Mr. Stallman, he voiced his final opinion on the matter:

DRM is evil because it prevents sharing. But DRM is also evil since it produces things that can't be used without proprietary software.(Proprietary software is evil, too.) - Richard Stallman

I don't disagree with Mr. Stallman on this point, but I do believe he's missing a bigger picture. We're talking about a purely digital means for valuing an abstract concept like art. Since the aim of this system is to give an abstract construct an tangible monetary value, and money is the root of all evil, then by necessity this form of DRM is inherently evil.

It creates a system of control that restricts access to digital culture, perpetuating a system of private and public media, despite the fact that it can create a new valued media marketplace where everyone equally trade and participate in valuing a digital culture.

The real question is, which is the lesser of the necessary evils?

Do you allow private corporations to control access to emerging forms of media through patent acquisition and lobbying for more restrictive legislation to prop up their monopolies?

Or do you design a new system to minimize the ability of these same private entities to control access to online media and culture, and provide new means for generating an online participatory culture where everyone stands to profit equally?

Prop Culture or People Culture?

Difficult questions to answer... but they will resolve themselves over time.

But I will say this... spending your days thinking about the means for developing a more stable and long-lasting digital media distribution technology does not make you popular amongst friends. Most of the people I know don't think twice about stealing music.

Hell... neither do I. I'm one of the biggest pirates I know. I steal movies, music, video games, software... But that's only because it's the easiest and fastest way to get access to it. In some cases, there is no alternative media for these materials other than through non-legal channels.

How long will it take before the Old World catches up with the New One?