Digital Distribution Claims More Victims — I’m Here To Help

As the reining champion of Physical Media — I must comment because attention must be paid.

This month, Microsoft will shut down a digital rights management (DRM) server that authorizes the use of ebooks users have “purchased” over the last several years.

These aren’t ebooks that were distributed for free. These aren’t “virtual library books” these users borrowed with the understanding that in 14 days, they would disappear and be “checked back in”.

When these users committed to the “purchase” of these books, they clicked a button that said “Buy Now”. It didn’t say “Rent Now” or “Borrow Now”. After all, with apologies to Jud Crandall —

But it really isn’t, is it?

When you “buy” from digital lockers, your ownership is not guaranteed. Ask the poor folks who lost their music from Wal-Mart in 2008.

Perhaps the good people relying on iTunes who purchased HD movies and unceremoniously lost them without elaborate work arounds — or the customers that paid for 4K movies only to find one day that they had all been demoted to “HD” versions.