Whether we like it or not, DRM is here to stay in some form or another. However it is the way that it is IMPLEMENTED that is important. It should neither be too simple nor too complicated, and it definitelyshould NOT be intrusive.

SecuROM has its issues, it is intrusive and it can be set to scan your entire software base which is definitely NOT acceptable. It also incurrs a "simultaneous-activation" limit. However certain variants of it (GTA 4 is one example) do have one simple advantage. It can be REVOKED completely from your PC, allowing you to install your software again onto another (or onto the SAME) PC. This will in actuality "give back" an activation to the SecuROM servers, and give you back one of your activations again.

Here is a DIRECT quote (as of the date of this post) from the Securom Website:

(QUOTE)

What is revoking?

Revocation (sometimes also called De-Authentication) is the process of giving back a used license to the Product Activation server. The precondition to successful revocation is that the application in question was activated on the PC before and the SecuROM™ User Data are intact.

Example: Your application has a limit of 4 simultaneous activations. After an online activation on the Product Activation server, the application can be used on this PC and three activations are left for this serial number.

In case this active license is revoked, the application cannot be used on this PC any longer (until a new online activation), leaving four activations for this serial number to be used on different PCs.

..."There is flexibility (set by the publisher, but defaults to 60%) of allowed hardware changes before a new activation is required."

(END QUOTE)

Many companies, including iTunes from Apple, are employing this method because they realise that people do upgrade their pc's, or they do suffer hardware break-downs and need to replace bits. Revocation is a positive step forward whilst maintaining a level of security that ensures that Digital Activation security is preserved.

In the case of iTunes, there are also restrictions to revocation, it can only be performed "x" number of times per year, but just like SecuROM it will only allow "x" numbers of"devices" to have an active license at any one time. If you want to use the software on another device above your license limit then revocation is the answer as long as you don't go over your annual limit.

Now this solutionmay not beperfect, however it is a step in the right direction. It does not neccessarily limit the number of installs as such, but limits the amout of pc's that you can actively USE it on by limiting the amount of active log-on's to one single person per license at any one time. It also does not neccessarily restrict the saving of games to on-line only, unless the game itself imposes such restrictions.

DRM is still young, and it has a long way to go before it is an acceptable solution across the board, so to speak. However it is still at a stage where it is flexible, and we should do all that we can to ensure that our rights are not taken away completely by it. We can boycott software houses and pressure then into shaping it into something that works against the pirates, but works FOR the end-user (the game player or end-user of the software that it is protecting.)

We should not be railroaded into accepting something that is unworkable, and which forces us to take a direction that a particular software house is dictating. After all, WE are the customer, and it is up to US to protect our rights in this.

On a final note, on the subject of "hacking" and "cracking"...

It is true that we can never totally stop this kind of thing, there will always be somebody who gets around whatever protection is popular at any one time. This was true back in the early days and it will still be true in the future (unless something REALLY radical comes along that none of us has foreseen... like DNA activation...)

However, and this must be said, hacking and cracking is DAMAGING the software industry, which is exactly WHY the DRM was put there in the first place. A lot of you may already be waiting for, or may already be using "cracked" versions of games as a PROTEST against the software houses for making their protection too difficult or too intrusive.

Well, unfotunately, this is _not_ helping the cause, it is re-inforcing the need to put protections in place which will, in turn, get more and more complicated, and it is indirectly promoting piracy. Now before I get flamed here, I AGREE that certain DRM protection methods have crossed the line and entered into the domain of LUNACY! (as I write this Assassins Creed 2 springs to mind.) But as a stand against piracy, using pirated software does NOT make a stand against piracy... it actively encourages it, and it encourages the software houses to implement even more protection to prevent it.

A vicious circle...

I have made my protest to UbiSoft about their latest version of DRM via email, and by refusing to buy any of their games that implement it. In fact I am refusing to buy ANY of their software, neither PC or any of their console versions until they backpedal on their decision. Not buying PC software will encourage them to just not develop PC software, however not buying ANY software for ANY platform will hopefully make them think a bit harder. We, as consumers, have the power to do that. If we don't like a decision then we can boycott ALL aspects of their software, not just a part of it.

However (and you can believe me or not believe me, as you wish) I am NOT going to use pirated versions, I will wait until they patch out, downgrade or remove the DRM completely. Only at that time will I start buying their software again... for ALL of their platforms. Until then I will buy NONE of it! I will also take this stand for ANY software house that implements this level of DRM.

It may make you feel really mad not buying a particular console version or a PC version of a game you REALLY want, but it hurts the software house MORE if you stick to your guns and DON'T buy it on a principle that you disagree with, even if it NOT for the platform that you use. After all, your particularplatform may be the next in the line of fire for an issue you disagree with (likeanti-hacking protection...)An action like this taken by end-userswill hopefully makesoftware houseslisten a bit harder to their fanbase. Make a stand BEFORE it happens to you!

For what it is worth, that is my stand on DRM... like it or not it is here to stay in one form or another. However we have the power, as consumers, to help shape it to our advantage, so don't just give in and get pirated versions of games, contact all of the software houses that use it, use your powers as consumers and don't let them bully us into accepting something that is both unpopular and unworkable.